Escaping the Flames
by mythweaver1
Summary: FFIV COMPLETE! It started off as such a peaceful day, but everything soon went wrong. A young emerald haired summoner is caught up in a journey that will end so far from where it started...even to a land beneath the earth.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own anything by Square-Enix. Character names, towns, items and events belong to Square, I only happen to embellish them. This is my first attempt at a one shot (or any fanfiction, really). This scene has been done numerous times, but I felt the need to have my own interpretation of it. 

Escaping the Flames

The weather was fair and it was early morning when Rydia cracked open one eye to a cool draft that came through her window. It was still dark, and her mother would not come to wake her for some time yet, but Rydia was already wide awake with excitement. Today she would learn the casting of a new spell. Today she would learn to cast fire.

She sat up in bed staring at the crack between the shutters of her window through which the draft had come. She leaned forward and pushed the shutters fully open. She threw her head back in exultation as the draft became a brisk, cool breeze and blew her soft, wavy green hair away from her face. She could smell the mountains, the hard, rocky earth; the mists that hung in the valley like a sheet except over the village; and the sweet scent of crushed grass from the village square where the other children played and wrestled on the ground.

For a moment she felt like she could be a part of the earth or a piece of the sky and could disappear in either and be perfectly happy. What it would be like to be an element; powerful, enduring, mysterious….

She opened her eyes and let go of her daydream. She had to get dressed and get herself in order before her mother's footsteps sounded down the narrow hallway of their home as they did every morning for practice. She wanted to be ready; she wanted to make her mother proud.

She waited by her bedroom door holding the Change rod her mother had purchased for her in order for her to practice. She twirled it in her hands and continued to wait—and wait—and wait.

Finally, her excitement was too much to bear and Rydia began to pace around her small bedroom. But there were no footsteps in the hall; in fact, there was no noise at all from down below. Rydia cracked open her door and peeked out. No one.

She raised a curious brow and glanced back at her window and saw the sun was rising. It was dawn already and still her mother had not come to get her. She sighed with disappointment and continued to watch the sunrise, with its reds, yellows, oranges and even purple. It was beautiful but chilling. Something about the colors was wrong; they were a bit darker than usual, a shade too red perhaps. Rydia wondered at it, feeling less and less comforted by the breeze. Something didn't feel right and her mother was late. She quietly left her room and walked down the half stair to her mother's room. She peered in, but her mother was gone, her bed a rumpled mess of sheets and blankets.

Rydia paused. Why had her mother left without her?

A scream suddenly punctuated the air and Rydia's heart froze. She ran out of the hallway and bolted through the door of her home, dropping her rod in her haste. With more than a little panic, Rydia scanned the village square and found no sign of her mother. She kept on running. It was when she ran behind her neighbor's home, where the training fields were, that she found her mother lying on the ground. She was gasping for air as if she'd been struck and her red hair was flung out behind her like a mane of tangled flames.

Rydia's eyes filled with tears. This wasn't supposed to happen; it wasn't supposed to be this way! Why was her mother lying like that! What was going on! Who had done this to her!

Rydia dropped to her knees at her mother's side.

"Mother, wake up! What happened, please wake up!" she practically whined through her tears.

Her mother looked up at her with her brown eyes in pain. "Rydia," her voice was thick and slurred, "I tried. I tried to stop them but they overpowered me. The dragon of mist has perished and now I must pay the price. The intruders…they are dangerous…Rydia, leave the village, do you understand? Be a brave girl and hide outside the village. Rydia…I love you," she whispered hoarsely and tried to smile one last time for her little girl.

"Mother!" Rydia shouted and shook her. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!" she screamed. "Don't leave me here alone!" she wailed.

"What's this?" a gruff but not unfriendly voice asked from across the training field.

Rydia looked up with tear reddened eyes and saw the village elder looking across the small field at her with concern all over his face.

"They—they," she sputtered, "They _killed_ her! They killed the dragon—they killed mother!"

The elder's face fell immediately. He knew what that meant. "My word…"

A sudden brush of warmth touched Rydia's face. She looked at the elder, but he was no longer looking at her, he was looking behind her.

And then she smelled it—the thick, acrid smell of smoke. She turned to see a pack of bombs floating between the houses and loosing embers from their corpulent, flaming bodies that landed in the grass and on the roofs. The embers immediately sprouted flames.

Rydia gasped in horror and looked back at her mother. She had to move her, couldn't leave her behind, but there wasn't time—she wasn't strong enough. The elder had run to ring the village bell and left Rydia alone in the training fields. Fire was spreading between the houses, licking at the wood and slithering through the dry grass. The breeze that Rydia had reveled in earlier was now an enemy she feared. The flames were fed on the wind and the smoke blew into Rydia's lungs so she couldn't breathe.

"Mommy, mommy!" she screamed helplessly as she tried to decide whether to run or stay.

She heard a voice behind her through a wall of fire. It was deep, dark; it sounded menacing, like a dragon about to snap its jaws. She clutched her mother's rod and picked it up. She was the one who was supposed to be casting fire, not these murderers. She'd make them answer for this crime.

A dragon's head emerged through the flames followed by another that had horns like a bull. She screamed and backed away, gripping the rod until her knuckles turned white.

_Help, help, help_, she thought in a panic.

The fire was everywhere and the smoke was burning her eyes. She heard the bull head, which now she saw was the helmet of a suit of armor, say something about taking her with them.

She could feel her lips moving and words coming out but she had no control over them.

"My mother's dragon fell so she did too!" she shouted.

"We have our orders. The summoners are a threat!" the dragon said to his companion.

"She's just a girl!" the bull argued.

They bickered between themselves as Rydia felt her heart tear in half. _Destroy the summoners?_

"No!" she heard a voice scream, then realizing it was her own, "No, no, no! You killed my mother!"

The bull stepped in front of the dragon. "I'm sorry about your mother, but please come with us."

"No!" she screamed with such fury that the rod in her hand flashed gold.

The two stepped back, surprised.

However, a moment later, it seemed that the dragon had had enough of his own heat. "Let's just take her!" he snapped and advanced.

"NO!" Rydia screamed again and closed her eyes. The rod in her hands gave her strength and she felt something wanting to be called forth, something powerful. She mumbled words she didn't understand but had heard her mother use before, and hoped for a miracle. She had to stop them; she had to save her village. She wanted to make her mother proud—and to think, she had just a few minutes before been so excited about casting fire—oh, how she hated it now.

She focused her energy into one single thought and with all her might, released it. In that instant her world began to tumble; the ground beneath her feet collapsing with a terrific crush of sound. She felt like she was falling, but at least she could no longer feel the heat of the flames, the sting of the smoke, or the eyes of those evil men through their strange helmets. There was nothing, nothing at all, and she no longer knew where she was. She reached for her mother's hand but could no longer find it—she was alone. It was all so dark. So very, very dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Part II: Where Trust Begins

It felt like a mountain had fallen on top of her. She hurt all over and her head felt like it had been through a clothes press. She opened her eyes and started. Where was she? This wasn't Mist! Where was her mother!

She looked around frantically and instinctively grasped for her rod. There was no rod, only blankets.

It was a dark room with pillars on both sides of it and curtains hanging between them. Torches were hanging from brackets on the pillars and the light they cast filtered through the heavy curtains and allowed Rydia to see rows of beds.

Was this an inn? She had never seen a place like it in her life. With a chill, she wondered is she was dead and this was the hall of the Summoned. No. She hurt too much to be dead, this had to be somewhere, but it definitely wasn't Mist.

"You're awake," she heard a voice say and she nearly jumped out of her bed.

She cast her eyes around, trying to find her addressor and they finally rested on a dark figure half buried in the shadows. How had she not seen him before? Then again, he did look very much like a statue.

She clamped her mouth shut and forced back any tears from her eyes. It was the man with the bull shaped helmet, its horns making strange shapes on the wall when they caught the light. Why did he keep his mask on? Coward. Couldn't even let the girl whose mother he killed and village he burned see his face?

He moved and she tensed.

"My name is Cecil. I know I probably can't be forgiven for what I've done…but at least let me protect you," he said softly, mournfully.

She stared into the black caverns of his helmet that were supposed to be eyes. She felt nothing but anger. Forgive him?

That wouldn't bring her mother or her friends back. Nothing he could do would ever bring them back or erase the memory etched in her mind; the feel of the flames and the choking heat of the smoke…She couldn't forgive him. Where was the other for that matter, the dragon head? Why wasn't he asking for "forgiveness" too?

He turned his head away from her and moved to the bed beside hers. He just sat there, not moving for a very long time.

Rydia's eyes burned. She felt so empty. She couldn't smell the hills anymore, the grass, the fine mist, she couldn't hear the other children's voices when everyone was playing in the village square; even her mother's voice was fading into a background of memories filled with fear and smoke. Her world was gone. Everyone in it was gone and she was here all alone with this man, this murderer. How dare he ask her for forgiveness! He and the other had burned everything to the ground and now she was all alone.

She started to hiccup with sobs. She sank back into her bed and buried her face, trying not to let him hear her pain. But she was so tired. Her eyelids were growing heavy and she was having difficulty keeping her focus. She just wanted to disappear. Maybe if she closed her eyes she'd wake up somewhere else. Maybe this wasn't real. Just a dream. Just a dream…

She had finally drifted off to sleep when a door opened with a low, heavy thud and men's voices boomed between the pillars in the room. They were loud, intent, and angry.

Her eyes snapped open and she jumped with alarm. She tried to bury herself in her blankets and saw that the knight, who called himself Cecil, reach for his sword.

The curtains between the first set of pillars nearest the door were swept back, exposing the first two beds in the room; then the second. They were looking for something—someone.

"Cecil, show yourself!" a bristling voice commanded.

Rydia glanced at the knight as he drew his weapon. At that instant, the last set of curtains was drawn back and Rydia squinted against the bright torchlight that spilled across her face.

"Hand her over!" a man in armor standing in the center of three others ordered, pointing at her.

"What!" Cecil demanded.

"His Majesty knew the summoners would pose a threat, so he ordered them wiped out. Now hand over the girl!"

Cecil stood with his sword and stepped in front of Rydia, shielding her.

"No."

"You refuse? The king will not be pleased with your insubordination."

"I will no longer obey such orders. I will not hand over the girl."

"Very well. Take him down!"

Rydia was terrified. Who were these men and why were they after _her_—a little girl!

Three guards advanced towards her and Cecil with their swords drawn.

Cecil avoided the first man's blows and returned with a strike below the man's arm where he was unprotected and threw him backward. The next he struck across the chest, and on the backstroke, drove his sword into the man's helmet, dropping him to the ground.

The third guard managed to hit Cecil's knee but he too was thwarted a moment later with a crunching sound as his breastplate gave out beneath Cecil's sword. The captain looked at his fallen men in dismay.

Cecil leveled his sword at the captain but the captain only narrowed his eyes.

"I won't forget this," he said darkly, as he backed away and then fled from the inn.

Cecil stood in the center of the room, motionless. Rydia was overcome with shock. She wanted to turn her eyes away from the fallen guards, but couldn't. These men had come to kill her—_kill ­_her—and there they were on the floor—dead.

She looked at Cecil and he turned.

She was completely dumbfounded.

"Why did you…" she trailed off.

_Why had he protected her? What were his reasons? Was he being honest or was he trying to trick her?_Her mind spun in a hundred different directions at once. She was only seven! These sorts of things don't happen to seven-year-olds! She wished her mother were here to help her make the right decision, to figure all this out…

And then out of nowhere she found words.

"My name's Rydia," she said quietly.

"Rydia," he repeated, testing it, "I'm so sorry, Rydia…"

She stared at him and he studied her in return.

"You protected me."

"I won't let any harm come to you, not after what I've done. The least I can do is that," he confessed.

Maybe it wasn't him that burned the village, she thought. Maybe it was a mistake. If he had really wanted to kill everyone, he would have turned her over to those men. Maybe she could trust him--just maybe--and find out who really had killed her mother.

Staring at him she realized that he was the only person who could answer her questions. All of the confusion that she felt, he could take her to the answer. She couldn't stay behind anymore, it wasn't safe. More men might come after her. She would follow him until she knew the truth.

She hadn't given it a thought when he asked earlier, but he had given her another chance. She was still alive, and she felt that maybe—possibly--she could forgive him…at least enough to go with him for now. With watery eyes she looked up at him and said the only thing she could say—

"Thank-you."


	3. Chapter 3

Part III: Starting the Journey

The sunshine was so bright it was blinding. Above the village walls, all she could see for miles upon miles was sand--white, gritty, blazing hot sand. She brought her hand up to her forehead to shield her vision as she looked for any sign of mountains, grass, or cool mists. Nothing. Wherever she was, it was a completely different world than what she was used to.

"We're in Kaipo, the desert oasis," Cecil said, practically speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Kaipo?" she wondered, "How did we get here?"

"The creature you summoned caused an earthquake that stranded us on the other side of the valley as Mist. I brought you here while you were sleeping."

"We're in the Great Desert?" she asked, awestruck. "How did you manage it in your black armor?"

His head turned towards her, but he didn't say anything. Rydia wondered if she maybe shouldn't have asked.

"We should get you something to protect you from the sun," he said instead.

The village wasn't very large, but it was larger than Mist. The inn was the largest building in the village, two levels high and made entirely out of stone.

Rydia constantly found herself staring at it, its awkward appearance amid the other shorter homes.

But then she felt the stares of the villagers, they're strange looks, and concentrated on making herself as small and invisible as she could. They whispered when she and Cecil walked past, but she could never tell what they were saying. Wherever Cecil went, people avoided him; they ducked into corners and one man even fell over his basket of goods.

The attack in the inn had caused quite a stir.

Rydia tried to keep her face down and bury it behind her hair. But then she just felt horribly awkward anyway, and tried to wish away her emerald locks.

After a bit of wandering, Cecil finally found what he was looking for. It was a shop near the village gate. Rydia marveled at the beautifully carved wooden sign that hung from the doorframe, and waited for Cecil to go in before she followed.

The door to the shop groaned open and the inside smelled dusty and old. A man peered over the top of the countertop; he obviously had been looking for something, and stood fully upright when they both had entered.

He tugged at his long white beard and looked at Cecil with pointed distrust. When he saw Rydia he froze.

"How may I help you?"

"What are the smallest leathers you have?" Cecil asked, his hand directed towards Rydia.

"For the little lady? I might have just the thing," he announced, suddenly brightening, as he ducked beneath his counter and rummaged around for something.

Rydia stood a little bit on tip-toes to see what he was doing. He emerged with a long leather tunic (more of a dress by her standards), light leggings, boots and a leather hat.

Cecil stepped forward and picked up the bundle, dropping a pouch of coins on the counter.

While the old man was counting his money, Cecil came towards her and handed her the bundle.

"Go see if it fits."

Rydia went to a nook in the room with a wooden screen and changed out of her tattered clothes and into the new leather uniform. She emerged fully armed and somewhat ridiculous looking, with the tunic coming down to her knees.

The shopkeeper smiled.

"We'll need a belt," Cecil said after one glance.

The shopkeeper pulled one off of a board of pegs and tossed it to Cecil who handed it to Rydia.

"That oughta do," the man confirmed, "may I ask where you're headed in all that gear?"

"Somewhere away from here," Cecil stated.

"I see. Does this have anything to do with those men who stormed through here last night?"

"Let's just say Baron wants to prove a point."

Rydia fiddled with getting the belt on as she half listened.

"If you've chosen to pick a fight with Baron then I really do suggest you leave as quickly as possible."

"Which direction is Damcyan?"

"North through the caves, and across the desert. If the girl can cast lightning you shouldn't have a problem. There are water fiends in those caves."

Cecil turned back at Rydia who looked at him warily. _Lightning? She couldn't even cast ice!_

"Thank-you very much. We'll just be on our way."

Rydia followed Cecil out of the shop and across the street to an armory.

Once again, the people were whispering. She heard snippets of conversations. "D_ark knight,"_ she heard most often, and, "_little unfortunate waif". _She clung closer to Cecil, hoping to stay away from the whisperers. She knew that the "dark knight" was Cecil, but who was the waif? She frowned and wondered about it until they entered the armory.

This shop keeper behaved similarly to the first, but just seemed happy to find some business and helped Cecil find what he wanted. Cecil bought her a bow and a quiver of arrows which she stared at curiously when he handed them to her. She had never used a bow before and carried them across her bent arms, unsure of what to do with them. She and Cecil were about to leave the shop when the shopkeeper spoke up.

"You're from Baron, aren't you? It might interest you to know that after the ruckus you caused over at the inn last night, a girl was found in the desert, taken ill from desert fever. She claims that she too is from Baron. Someone else you know?"

Rydia looked up at Cecil and saw him pause in the doorway longer than usual.

"Where is she?"

"The house in the northeast corner of town."

Cecil practically sprinted out of the shop, and Rydia chased after him. What was it with grown-ups and having to run everywhere they went?

She followed him across the town, jumping over baskets filled with clothes for washing, and dodging in between people on the street. She marveled at how fast he could run in his armor, and juggled her bow and arrows very ungracefully.

He finally stopped at the door of a small, but rather long, house, and she nearly ran into him.

He banged on the door, and a few moments later a kindly and elderly woman appeared.

She looked up at Cecil in terror and then looked around him to where Rydia was standing, and gave her the most curious expression.

"H-how can I help you?"

"A girl--is there a girl here?" Cecil asked hastily.

The old woman made a face. "And why should I be telling the likes of you?"

"She's from Baron--a friend of mine. My name is Cecil."

At that, the woman swung open the door and beckoned them in.

"Come in, come in. She's been ill since we found her, poor thing. She's kept calling for a Cecil, must be you."

She led the way to the back of the home to a room with a bookshelf and a bed.

A girl lay in it. She was much older than Rydia and very fair. At once Rydia was jealous of this young woman's long golden hair.

"Rosa!" she heard Cecil exclaim and rush towards the woman on the bed.

"Cecil…Cecil, don't leave me, Cecil," she murmered.

"Desert fever," an old man sitting in the corner said, interrupting their thoughts. "It can only be cured with a sand ruby secreted by an antlion."

"A sand ruby. Where can I find this antlion?" Cecil asked, concerned.

"In the Cave of the Antlion. You'll need a member of the royal family of Damcyan to accompany you, only they are permitted to enter or grant entry to others. If you head across the desert and through the caves, it's due north."

"Thank-you. How long do you think she'll last?"

"I will do my best, but I can only give you a few weeks at most."

"Please--try to give us as much time as you can, I will return as quickly as I'm able," Cecil pled. Turning back at Rosa he laid a hand on her burning forehead. "Rosa, please hold on. We'll find the sand ruby, I promise."

Rydia stood behind Cecil towards the center of the room, and observed the conversation with interest. She looked at the girl on the bed, and worried for her. She was red in the cheeks, pale everywhere else, and looked terribly sick with fever. _What was it with misfortune following this Cecil_, she wondered; her village, the guards, and now this young woman.

Maybe she'd find the answer if she stayed with him long enough…


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Here's another chapter for all of you. Sorry it took so long to get these last two up. Second semester of college was...well...we won't go there. I plan on getting through quite a few chapter in the next couple weeks. This one is a bit shorter, but there's more coming, I promise. I wanted to let everyone know who's been following this that I DO plan on going through the game and beyond It's just a matter of when, I might get pretty far this summer. So don't worry, lots more Rydia on the way.

* * *

Part IV: The Quest for the Sandruby

The old couple put them up for the night. Cecil slept on the floor by Rosa's side, and Rydia curled up by the door to the room. The old man had said this was the "study", but she didn't understand what there was to "study" in it. The books on the shelves were filled with beautiful illustrations of dragons, griffons, and all kinds of creatures, but there weren't any _words_ on the pages. There were only parallel straight lines with symbols marked in irregular patterns over them, covering all the pages where there weren't illustrations.

Cecil had already fallen asleep by the time she'd found them. She just couldn't sleep. She figured it was some form of ancient communication and flipped through the pages to see the pictures while Cecil slept.

There was only one candle still lit in the room, and it rested on a small table near the bed where Rosa lay. She tossed and turned now and then, but she seemed to be doing better now that Cecil was near. Rydia closed the last of the books and returned it to its place on the shelf.

Tomorrow they would cross the desert and go to the water caverns….She curled into her sleeping mat and stared at the candle flame flickering about in the dark. She needed to learn lightning if they were to go through. Lightning. How was she supposed to learn it so fast?

Rosa had started mumbling again in her sleep. Something about a man in dark armor, but Rydia didn't understand what she was saying. It could be any number of men. All the men she'd seen in the last few weeks had worn dark armor. Three were dead, one had retreated, and the other…the dragon head, had disappeared. Suddenly her eyes popped open wide. Where _was_ he? He had been the one who'd said that the summoners were to be destroyed, and after the collapse of the mountains, he'd gone missing. Why hadn't Cecil said anything about him? Was he not concerned about it? Who _was_ he anyway?

She resolved to ask Cecil about it in the morning, and forced her eyes shut. She needed all the sleep she could get with all the traveling they were going to do to find the sandruby. When she finally drifted off to sleep, all she could see were the dragons, griffons, and fairies dancing around strange black symbols in her dreams.

The following morning, Cecil pulled her upright and handed her a sack. Rydia lazily opened her eyes and rubbed them with the back of her hand.

"We're leaving already? Is it even morning yet?"

"It's dawn. These are the supplies for the journey that you'll need, and clothes for if it gets cold."

Rydia stared down at the sack in her lap. "Oh."

"I'll meet you outside when you're ready," he said and then quickly exited the room."

She sat on the floor for a few minutes, completely dizzy from not sleeping half the night, and slowly pried herself off of her sleeping mat. She threw on her tunic and strapped on the belt Cecil had bought her yesterday. Then she rolled up the sleeping mat, grabbed her bow and arrows and turned for the door to leave. Before she could step from the room, she looked back at Rosa who was still sleeping, now fitfully, on the bed.

Rydia walked towards her and stood beside the bed, unsure of what to say. She wished it was within her power to heal Rosa, but she knew her healing magic abilities were small and only the sandruby was the cure. She gathered herself up and finally said, "Don't worry, I'll help him as well as I can. Just hang in there, okay?"

Rosa turned onto her side and faded out again, while Rydia quickly scurried out of the room and down the hall to find Cecil.


	5. Chapter 5

Part V: Leaving Kaipo

Cecil was waiting for her at the entrance of the home. The elderly couple was with him, giving him food for the journey and expressing their concerns. When Rydia wandered up, the old woman bent down and hugged her.

"Be careful, young one. It's a wild, untamed world out there."

Rydia stared up at her in surprise and then shyly smiled back. She wasn't used to being spontaneously hugged.

"Remember, go north and east until you find a pass between the mountains. Then you'll know if you're going in the right direction. The cave entrance is at the end of the pass, very hard to miss. If you have any trouble, use this…."

Rydia tried to see what it was, but ultimately failed.

"An eagle's eye?" Cecil asked.

"Yes, it can help you see your way, but I recommend using it only when you absolutely must."

Rydia gazed up at the old man and his kind, but weathered face. "Excuse me," she piped in, "What were those books in your….'study'?"

"Did you have a look at them, young lady?"

She nodded hesitantly, not sure if her looking at them was a good or bad thing yet.

"Those are ancient music tomes. Bards write down their songs in them, and illustrate what the song is supposed to do with elaborate pictures. Those songs were for charming beasts. They were given to me by a bard who used to frequent these parts not too long ago. I haven't seen him lately though…"

"A bard," Rydia wondered out loud, "So this bard would come through and sing for you?"

The old man laughed at her. "Yes, but not only did he sing for us, he'd play his harp as well! He was such a brilliant musician. It's a shame really..."

"What is?"

"Rydia, we really need to—" Cecil tried to interrupt.

"You see, he stole the heart of a sage's daughter, and the two of them ran off together. The girl's father was furious and chased after them, and we haven't seen any of them for many months. There hasn't been any music here for quite some time, and he always played his most beautiful tunes whenever Anna was here."

Rydia tried to imagine what such beautiful music would sound like, but ended up scrunching up her nose and giving up. She didn't really know what music was supposed to sound like anyway. There hadn't been too much of it in Mist.

"Thank you for keeping us here for the night. I appreciate everything, and please, take good care of Rosa until we come back."

"You are very welcome. May your travels go well and no harm fall to you. I will do my best for the girl."

Cecil led the way from the house and once again they wandered through the village. Thankfully, no one else was awake, so there was no one around to whisper behind their backs or stare at Rydia's green hair. She gladly walked with her head up for a change, and took in everything around her without having to worry.

They quietly exited the village gate, shutting it firmly behind them and stepping out into the cool desert morning air.

Rydia kicked some sand with her booted foot.

"This way," Cecil said, skirting the village.

Rydia followed behind him, trying to build up the nerve to ask him the question she'd decided she wanted to know the answer for the night before. She ended up finding herself asking a different question entirely.

"Who is she?"

Cecil turned and all she could see were the dark caverns for eyes in his helmet. "What?"

"Who is she, the girl in the bed?"

"Her name is Rosa. She's a friend of mine."

"Just a friend?" she asked, cocking her head.

He paused again. "A very good friend."

When he turned back around, she smiled. He _looooooooves_ her, she realized, even if he didn't say it. She was getting used to figuring out what kind of expression he was making behind his helmet. It was a fun guessing game she had devised….When he paused it was because he was thinking about saying something but trying to find a way to lie about it.

She almost giggled.

"She and I grew up together," Cecil added a few minutes later without facing her. "We've known each other for a very long time—along with Kain."

"Who's Kain?"

"He's…I don't know. He was a friend, but now I'm not so sure. It doesn't matter right now, Rydia, you'll probably never meet him."

"You don't think you'll see him again?"

"I don't think _you'll _see him. Rydia, when I find someplace safe, somewhere where Baron can't find you, I'm having you stay there. It's too dangerous for you to come with me. I am an enemy of the most powerful country in the world. They will never stop coming after me, and I won't risk your life for my decision to defy the king."

Rydia stopped walking and immediately hardened her innocent face. "I'm going with you. The _whole_ way. I've made up my mind about it, and nothing you can say will change it. I want to know why my mother really died—why my village was burned down. I am the last of the summoners, so I'm going to find out, and go with you to the end!" she said, stamping her foot down for emphasis.

Cecil appeared stunned. At least he stopped moving for a few minutes to stare at her through his helmet. Rydia tried to make herself seem as tough and bold as she could.

As he stared down at her, suddenly his attention shifted and he shouted. "Rydia, get down!"

She immediately fell face first into the sand, and felt a _whoosh_ of air go past her.

She glanced up to see a huge mothlike creature flying overhead. It was bigger than she was and had patterns on its wings that looked like eyes. She saw Cecil go for his sword, the wicked black blade that had killed the three guards in the inn, and jumped to her feet. She ran past the moth and stood behind Cecil, hoping that the moth had nothing to do with her.

Cecil charged the moth and swung at it with his sword, only to have it gracefully flit away from him and float higher into the air where he couldn't reach it. It stretched out its wings and a strange powder drifted on the air to where they were both standing.

"Rydia, I can't see anything. Reach into the sack and pull out the eyedrops."

Rydia rummaged through the bag and tried to find the bottle labeled "eye drops". It was a small vile with a long narrow opening and she quickly handed it to Cecil who opened it and dropped the liquid into his eyes. Once he could see again, his sword was back up and ready.

He charged once more, and this time, clove the moth in two. It fell to the ground a mess of powder and dust.

"Is it…dead?" Rydia asked.

"Safe to say," Cecil replied, as he went to the moth's remains and plucked something from beneath its crumpled wings.

"What is that?"

"A potion. When a monster dies it usually drops something it's been carrying for awhile. Usually it's something that it confiscates from other travelers, and sometimes it can turn out to be something useful."

"A monster? How can you tell if it's a good monster or a bad monster though?"

"A bad or good monster? I've never seen a good monster, but if it attacks you, chances are it's bad."

"Oh, I see," Rydia replied quietly.

"Rydia, do you know how to use that bow?" Cecil asked, changing subjects.

She pulled it off of her back and held it out, shaking her head. "I've never used a weapon before. How does it work?"

Cecil looked down at her. Rydia wished he would take off his helmet so she could really know what he was thinking. She figured he was probably amused, but couldn't quite tell.

"Take the quiver. Now take out an arrow," he instructed.

Rydia held the arrow up for inspection.

"Now with these two fingers…." he began, and when she had trouble, stooped down and helped her.

_Finally_! She thought once the arrow was nocked.

"Good. Pull the string back and keep your left arm straight."

Her right arm wobbled as she pulled back the string. When she couldn't hold it anymore, she released it and the arrow jumped off the bow and landed about ten feet away.

She narrowed her eyes at it and went to pick it up. She thought she heard a chuckle.

"Is it always this hard?" she asked.

"No. With practice, you'll get better."

She thought for a moment.

"Will we ever have to fight people? Not just monsters, but people?"

Cecil walked away from her and put his hands on his hips.

"I hope not, Rydia, I really hope not."

"And we might have to fight if we go on?"

"I'm sorry, Rydia, I didn't want to involve you in all this--"

"Oh, stop it! We have to save Rosa now. That's more important than anything else, right? And _I'm_ helping," she announced and sprinted off in front of him. But suddenly she stopped and turned around sheepishly.

"Which way's north?"


	6. Chapter 6

This took me a bit longer to get up. I got distracted by a wedding in the family last weekend, so now I'm back at my computer hammering out some more stuff. Right now it's still a lot of Rydia's own thoughts, very introspective. Cecil's still a bit silent, as his character at the moment, even in the game at this point, doesn't say too much, and (as far as we know) doesn't take off his helmet, so his expressions are a bit limited too. That's going to change in the next few chapters, especially as Rydia starts to "grow up" during their journey together and Cecil starts to really stand up for his actions and take control of the situation (he's really a broody character now that I think about it. I didn't really realize it so much until I started writing about him. This is also before he gives up the dark sword) Enjoy!

The Desert and Finding the Water Caverns

A week had passed and Rydia was getting tired of wandering around the desert. They had fought moths, worms, sand creatures, small impish creatures, and giant centipedes, and they were just now finding the pass through the mountains that would lead them to the water caverns. At least their packs were full of items they had found on the monsters they'd encountered.

Rydia felt proud of herself, though. She could now cast ice, something she had learned from fighting one of the moths. She'd done it by accident, but her fingers had crossed just the right way and she'd said just the right words, and ice came out of the air and froze the moth into a crystal. It was a very handy spell to have in the desert, she'd come to realize, and had used it on everything else they'd encountered. She had even learned a basic cure, but it only helped a little, and she didn't use it too often.

She and Cecil had kept each other company fairly well, and they had found things to talk about; like what kind of country Damcyan was, how Baron had become so powerful, and what kinds of chocobos a person could ride. "Kain" never came up again in conversation, but Rydia could tell something was weighing heavily on Cecil's mind besides the journey for the sand ruby. Maybe it was being so far from home…

Rydia tried not to think about Mist. It already followed her dreams in the shape of flames, and she didn't feel it needed to follow her waking thoughts too. She tried to focus on everything else around her, something that would make her forget. She channeled a lot of her energy into using her bow, but even so, she couldn't hit a target twelve feet in front of her.

She was growing stronger, she could feel it. She didn't get tired as much as she used to, and injuries from the monsters they fought no longer bothered her as much as they once did. She was tanner as well, her skin bronzed from the constant trek through the desert. Cecil had told her the day before that it made her eyes blaze a brilliant shade of green because her skin had darkened. She was glad that it hadn't made her look more awkward with her green hair, but Cecil assured her she looked lovely.

They reached the end of the pass and stood in front of the entrance to the cave. The cold air from the inside was unmistakable, and felt refreshing from the desert air of the last week. Cecil looked down at Rydia once before leading the way into the cave and down its chiseled stone steps. Rydia followed a bit farther behind. She had never liked caves…

The deeper they descended, the colder it became--and damp. The only light and source of heat was the torch that Cecil had found at the cavern entrance and lit. Watching the torch flame flicker off of Cecil's helmet, Rydia felt as if her skin were crawling, it was so uncomfortably damp. She could hear water dripping to unknown depths and hugged her chest to keep herself warm. Cecil always kept his sword unsheathed, as if he was constantly expecting an attack at any time, and she stayed as close to him as she could, not wanting to get separated in such a place.

They found a few chests as they ventured on, and finally came to a point where the cave roof soared above them, exposing a massive cavern that went even farther below them into large pools of water. Rydia peered over the ledge on which they were standing, and saw the indistinct pools of water that were black in the dim light. It almost sounded to her that something was jumping in and out of the water below, and she quickly picked herself up and jumped back to Cecil's side.

"Something down there?" Cecil asked.

She shook her head, her widened eyes pinned to empty space. "I hope not."

He chuckled, the first time Rydia had ever heard him chuckle, and it made her feel lighter and less afraid. They ventured on a bit more until they rounded a curve in the cavern and saw a light ahead of them, illuminating a small bridge that spanned a crevice in the floor. Cecil and Rydia advanced slowly, not sure what to make of it. As they got nearer, they saw a figure standing near the light, an old miserly gentleman.

He saw them about the same time they saw him, and raised the staff in his possession, shaking it violently.

"No one passes this point!" he shouted. "Turn back now, and you will be spared!" His voice boomed against the cavern walls.

Rydia glanced up at Cecil's helmeted face, and he took her by the hand. They continued towards the bridge despite the old man's warning, and came to a stop at the foot of the bridge.

"I said turn back!" the man repeated, his long beard quivering as his chin shook in anger. Rydia hid behind Cecil and stole glimpses of the strange man from behind Cecil's back.

"Fool, you don't know the danger that awaits you past this point, turn back now!"

When Cecil refused to budge, the old man adjusted his glasses and squinted at the two of them from across the bridge. "Is that a dark sword you have?"

"It is."

"Then you are a dark knight?" the old man inquired.

Cecil paused for a moment and then answered. "I am."

The old man set down his staff and shuffled towards them. Rydia clung to Cecil tighter than she had before. She had not expected this man to rush towards them like this. Even Cecil shifted backwards, not sure of what the old man was doing.

The man stopped just in front of Cecil and clutched for his armored hand. "Thank goodness, I can't believe my good fortune," he was saying.

"What are you talking about--who are you?" Cecil asked, a suspicious edge to his voice.

"My name is Tellah. I was looking for my daughter who ran off with a bard after I refused to consent to their union."

"The sage, Tellah," Cecil said, "I've heard about you."

"I was going to put a stop to their elopement, you see, but I was halted in my attempt by a monster that is guarding the exit to these caverns. Perhaps with your sword and my magic we can defeat it and break through to Damcyan!"

"I'm not sure if—"

"At least we can help each other get out of the caves, if it is Damcyan you are trying to reach as well. Let me join you, we can fight together!"

Rydia heard Cecil sigh resignedly and nod his head. "Very well. Do you know the way out of here?"

"Of course I do! Follow me!"

Following the eccentric old man who called himself Tellah, Rydia kept by Cecil's side, wondering where this journey was headed next. All she knew was that they had to keep following the flickering torch in the old man's hand, and hope he remembered where he was going...

Behind them, the cave faded into complete darkness—dark except for a few pairs of glistening eyes and hungry mouths watching a pair of torches flicker in the distance, waiting for their chance to strike…


	7. Chapter 7

Another part up already! We've finally found Tellah…There isn't a terrible amount of interaction between Tellah and Rydia in this section, mostly because I wanted to save more conversation for the scene by the "save point". I tried to keep the dialogue a bit away from what comes up later on in the cave, and kept it between Cecil and Tellah mostly. You may also notice that Tellah never actually acknowledges Rydia in this section, and not by name. Aaand, onward we go…

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The Sage, Tellah

The now party of three, continued through the vast cavern, picking their way through the slick passages, and making sure they took with them the contents of every chest they found along the way.

Among some of the chests, they had found old, but useable, tunics, protection rings with rubies embedded into them, and leather headpieces. Since Tellah's gear was the oldest and most worn out, Cecil gave him the new equipment they found, except one ring that he gave to Rydia. She adored the ring, and the way the rubies reflected the torchlight in its facets. She placed the ring on her thumb, the only finger the ring fit on, and stood a bit taller once it was on her finger. She felt she should be a bit more dignified with a ring of rubies on her finger. That was until she caught Cecil leveling quite a stare at her and clasped her hands immediately behind her back and slumped back down.

Tellah didn't say too much about himself as they walked, he only spoke about the history behind the caves, what kinds of monsters lived inside them, and what spells were most effective against which monsters…

Rydia stared at him for most of the way. Now that she knew he wasn't someone who meant them harm, she no longer feared him at all. In fact, she was intrigued by him. She had been told once by her village elder, that sages were powerful, wise, and very rare. They had devoted their lives to the pursuit and perfection of many spells, and could execute them flawlessly.

Tellah looked back at her from time to time, and every time, she shyly averted her eyes.

Finally, Tellah directed his gaze at Cecil.

"So you are a dark knight of Baron, then?"

"Yes."

"How did you end up this far north, towards Damcyan?"

Cecil answered with words that felt weighted down by grief. "I am currently at odds with the king. I was relieved of my command for questioning his recent aggressions."

"Aggressions?"

"The crystal of Mysidia. It was taken by force."

"My stars…I sensed something was wrong. I should certainly make haste to Damcyan!"

"The king thinks the nations that house the crystals know too much about their power. I fought his battles for him, never asking why…. Only to realize that he wanted the crystals for himself."

"I thought Odin was a sensible man, not one to be overcome with greed."

"This is not the king I have known all my years. He's…changed."

Tellah glanced once again to Rydia. "And the girl? Where does she fit into all of this?"

Cecil met and held Tellah's gaze. "A terrible mistake," he answered, strained. "To prove my loyalty, I was given a package that was to be delivered to Mist. A companion of mine came along, the captain of the dragoons of Baron. Once we arrived, the package opened on its own and released a horde of bombs that burned the village to the ground. She was one of the survivors. She used some power I'd never seen before, and brought the mountains down around Mist. I found her unconscious, and took her with me to Kaipo to keep her from Baron's wrath, but my companion had thought differently about the situation, not too willing to give up his loyalty to the king, and he vanished after the mountains collapsed. Never again will I follow the orders of such a king."

Tellah was pensive, his face lined with thoughtful wrinkles. "You are a brave man—I'm sorry, I never caught your name."

"My name is Cecil."

"You are a brave man, Cecil. If the bard I'm after comes out of this ordeal alive, he may just be singing songs about you someday."

Rydia walked a few steps behind them, listening to their conversation. Hearing Cecil's story, everything started to make more sense. It was the king of Baron who wanted her village destroyed, not Cecil. She also noticed how he had avoided telling Tellah what had happened to her mother. So he didn't want to think about it either…

They had started to round a corner in the cavern, and as the torchlight lost its hold on the darkness, Rydia abruptly saw something rush by out of the corner of her eye. She froze and maintained her gaze in the direction she'd last seen whatever it was. For a moment nothing moved, and then something grabbed out of the darkness and took hold of her waist.

She screamed out of fear, and Cecil and Tellah spun around to see her pulled out of sight. They rushed back around the corner and held up their torches to see a shell with dozens of small hair-like feet, razor sharp teeth, and a wickedly long tongue trying to pull Rydia in. She was struggling against the tongue that held her, yelling and shrieking in panic.

Cecil started to move forwards, but Tellah held out his hand and caught Cecil's shoulder. Cecil looked back, and Tellah shook his head.

"Make a quick move now, and you'll frighten it. You don't know what that will do to the girl."

"Then what are you going to do?" Cecil demanded.

Tellah closed his eyes and inclined his head with a knowing expression. "Just watch."

The old man raised his staff and started mumbling. Cecil couldn't understand him, but he saw the shift in the air, a faint shimmering. Finally, Tellah spoke the final words with clarity and volume, and a tremendous crack was heard and a blaze of light.

The shell that had been holding Rydia captive was burned through, its tongue hanging slack out of its ruined body.

Rydia jumped over the inanimate tongue, and ran back to Cecil and Tellah.

"Are you alright?" Cecil asked, his voice full of concern.

She looked at him with still-frightened eyes. "I think so…"

Turning to Tellah, Cecil asked, "What was that? What did you do?"

The old man waved his finger at Cecil. "The lightning spell, my friend. Useful against most things that dwell in water. Haven't you been listening to me all this time?"

Cecil shook his head in disbelief, and took Rydia by the shoulders.

"We need to keep moving before something else comes out of the dark," he said.

Agreeing, Tellah picked up his torch and continued to lead the way through the twisting passages. With Cecil at her back, Rydia vowed never again to look backwards in dark confined spaces.


	8. Chapter 8

Here we go…On to the "save point" scene. We're halfway through the water caverns! This scene is more a display of Tellah's eccentricities than anything else  I tried to get this out yesterday, just to make it number three up for the day…but my brain died somewhere around ten thirty and thus…it was pushed to today 

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Part VIII: Calm Before the Storm

They had been wandering for hours, and Rydia was beginning to fall asleep on her feet. The maze of cavern passageways was all the same; the same bluish-black rock, the same glistening ceiling and floor…

Cecil had fought a few more monsters; mostly large barbed fish, and finned, almost human-looking, creatures that could walk as well as swim. Tellah unleashed one lightning spell after another, and Rydia was honing her healing abilities. After all of their wandering, all of their fighting, Rydia was finally starting to lose her energy, and she wasn't the only one.

"She's getting tired, is there any place to rest down here?" Cecil asked wearily.

Tellah stopped walking and scratched his head. "This way," he said, moving away from their current path and into another. After a short distance, they arrived at a solid door placed into the cave wall.

Tellah opened the door and stepped inside. Cecil and Rydia followed behind him.

The chamber they had entered was decently sized, but seemed as if it had been mined into the cave and not a feat of nature. There were stone structures sticking up from the ground like stalagmites, but they were crafted with runes. An old burn pit rested in the center of the stones, and that's where Tellah walked.

He stopped in the middle of what Cecil and Rydia both discovered was a perfectly circular ring of stones.

"This is a traveler's ward," Tellah explained. "These stones have powerful runes written into them, wards. They will keep monsters at bay so that we can rest in peace."

"What kind of people created this place?" Cecil asked, curiously walking around.

"Mages, who else?" Tellah replied.

"Is it possible to light a fire in here?"

Again Tellah scratched his head. "There was some wood the last time I slept here. I wonder where it's—"

"There's some wood over here!" Rydia exclaimed.

She bent to pick up one of the smaller logs and shrieked when a centipede wriggled out of it.

Tellah and Cecil both looked in her direction.

"Gracious wonders, child, are you trying to kill me?" Tellah demanded. "What, was there a bug? Nothing to be afraid of," he continued, walking towards her and picking up the log himself.

Rydia's cheeks blazed crimson. It wasn't like her to be afraid of bugs, but after the shell monster, her nerves just hadn't been the same. She glanced over at Cecil, and he shook his head and shrugged.

Tellah plunked the log down on top of the old ashes. "Bring over a few more of those, young one," Tellah instructed Rydia. "Do you think you can handle that?"

Rydia narrowed her eyes and walked back to the logs. She picked up a larger one than the one she'd had before and tried to lift it. With all her effort, she pulled it up from the ground, struggling to pull it after her. She would not be a coward--not to a centipede-- and definitely not in front of a sage. But by the time she'd dragged it halfway to the fire pit, she began to wonder if taking such a large log had been a good idea. After she dropped it over the log Tellah had already carried over, she was exhausted, but absolutely determined not to let it show. She must not have done a good enough job because Cecil walked to the pile and brought the remaining logs over for the fire.

When Cecil had brought over a decent number of logs, they all sat around the crude pile they had constructed in the center of the chamber, staring at it as if waiting for it to spontaneously erupt into flames.

"These logs look damp," Cecil noted.

Tellah looked at him from above the rims of his spectacles, "These are the water caverns. Did you expect much else?"

Rydia was lying on her stomach with her head propped up on bent arms, watching the exchange between the two men. She could tell Cecil was becoming annoyed.

"How are we supposed to burn these if they're damp, torch flame isn't hot enough. Can the smoke even escape?"

Tellah wrinkled his face in disappointment and rebuke. "By the stars, Cecil. You are sitting with a sage. Of course I can get damp wood to burn. As to the smoke, there is a crack in the ceiling of this chamber that leads to the surface. I know this because a bird found its way down here one day…that was an unpleasant experience," he recalled, tugging at his beard.

Rydia made a face, and stared at Tellah while he pondered into empty space.

"How are you going to light them, then?" Cecil persisted.

'The fire spell, of course!" Tellah snapped, glancing sharply at Cecil.

Rydia was instantly filled with fear, horror, or something in between. She couldn't quite explain the twisting in her gut as she heard those words. Cecil didn't see the look on Rydia's face, but simply waited for the old man to _do_ something.

"Now let's see…" Tellah muttered and started mumbling words.

After a few…_interesting_ attempts at the fire spell, Cecil turned his attention towards Rydia. "You may as well start unrolling your bedding. This may take a while."

She agreed, but hoped she could fall asleep faster than the old man could cast the spell. It was one thing she was not in a hurry to see again…

What must have been an hour later, Rydia was fast asleep on her sleeping mat, and a fire was blazing in the fire pit.

"I _told_ you I'd get those logs started on fire!" Tellah announced.

Cecil did not immediately respond. "Tellah, it took you an hour to remember the fire spell."

The old man adjusted his spectacles and cleared his throat. "I'm not as young as I used to be…"

Cecil looked at Tellah for a few seconds before plucking a stick up from the ground and poking the fire with it. Small sparks popped into the air between the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Cecil. I'm a disappointment as a sage," Tellah admitted, almost ashamedly.

Cecil looked up from his fire poking and leveled his gaze.

"The truth is I can't remember much of anything anymore. Only the most basic of spells are at my command now, and even those sometimes slip through my fingers."

"Is it just old age, or something else?"

"Ever since Anna ran away, nothing has been the same. I can't keep focused for very long. When I get my hands on that bard…" he said, balling his hands into shaking fists.

"I hope you find her. How long has she been gone?"

Tellah calmed a bit. "It's been three months. I've been camping in and around these caverns for two of those months, keeping stray travelers out who wouldn't be able to survive the attack of the monster guarding this exit."

"You're very determined, then."

"I am. Why exactly are _you_ so quick to reach Damcyan? I know you're running from Baron, but why to Damcyan?"

Cecil paused. "A dear friend of mine is ill in Kaipo. She followed me from Baron, worried that I had been killed after the collapse of Mist. Only the sand ruby can cure her fever, and I need someone of the royal house of Damcyan to help me acquire it."

"I understand. It will not be an easy quest for you, I'm afraid."

"I'm willing to accept that," Cecil replied.

Tellah said nothing for several minutes and then turned his gaze on Rydia sleeping on the ground.

"Fast asleep. She must have been very tired. You said she was from Mist?"

Cecil nodded.

"I can sense she is very gifted. Young—but she has the potential to master many spells with the proper training. And a summoner of Mist as well!"

For the first time, Cecil saw true emotion brimming in the old man's eyes.

"So adorable, just like Anna used to be when she was young…. What is her name?"

"Her name is Rydia."

"Rydia…" Tellah repeated, testing its sound and weight. "Yes, the girl has boundless potential. She has a lot before her; that I can see already."

Neither man said anything more for some time until Cecil once again broke the silence.

"Tell me about this monster that guards the cavern exit."

Tellah shifted where he was sitting, rocking slightly backwards. "A vicious creature with eight strong tentacles. It's a difficult target and repels even _my _magic. The trick is to strike the body, but we'll have to get through the tentacles first. That's where your sword comes in."

"You want me to distract the tentacles while you aim your spells at the body?"

"Something to that effect…But we can discuss it more when we're nearer. This old bag of bones needs his sleep!"

Tellah rummaged through his pack and drew out a blanket that he threw over himself. Curling into it, he settled onto the cave floor.

"Good night!"

"Good night," Cecil replied, watching the fire dance before his tired eyes, knowing full well that tomorrow was not going to be easy.


	9. Chapter 9

Here we are…the next chapter. Took me a while to write this one for reasons I'm not even sure of. I'm working on a few things at once, so this chapter got a bit buried, I suppose. I don't know…this isn't my favorite chapter, but one of those necessary transitions. I added this scene to help the following battle become a bit more interesting . One more chapter and I promise we'll be out of these dreaded caves…

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Thunder and Lightning

Rydia cracked open one eye and saw that the fire had died down to embers. She was stiff from sleeping on the cave floor, but she wasn't tired like she had been the day before. She pushed herself up and rolled up her sleeping mat, packed her bag, and sat down waiting for Tellah and Cecil to wake up.

The cave had gone dark with the fire out and the torches expended, but there was a faint bit of light that came from the crack in the ceiling Tellah had been talking about. It was a thin crack, and only one stray shaft of light came through, but it was enough for Rydia to faintly see by.

Cecil eventually stirred and sat up. He saw Rydia already awake across from him and sighed.

"You're up already?"

She nodded.

"I wonder what time it is…" Cecil mumbled.

"There's light coming in from the crack up there. It must be day then, shouldn't it?" Rydia asked.

Cecil craned his head upwards. "Sure enough…"

"Should we wake him?" she asked, pointing at Tellah's sleeping form.

Cecil paused for a moment. "I'd rather not, but I suppose we should."

Rydia stood up and walked towards Tellah, leaning forward curiously to see if he was in any way awake. He had a unique way of breathing, not quite snoring, but a strange wheezing sound that moved his long mustache every time he exhaled. Rydia made a puzzled expression and looked back at Cecil.

"Do all old people sleep like this?" she asked.

Cecil laughed quietly. "Must be a thing among sages," he answered.

She smiled and bent down to poke Tellah's shoulder.

"Mister Tellah, sir," she said, "we need to keep going. You need to wake up."

Tellah mumbled something and turned on his side.

Rydia tried again.

"Mister Tellah? Mister Tellah, wake up!"

Tellah frowned in his sleep and batted out with one arm. "Quiet! Can't remember them if you keep yelling in my ear," he muttered.

Finally Cecil had had enough. He picked up one of their packs and dropped it right by Tellah's head. The clanging of its contents was enough to bring the man awake with a start.

"What in the hell-fire! What's attacking us? Did I miss something?"

"We need to keep moving," Cecil swiftly informed him.

Tellah squinted. "Oh. It's you. Alright, alright, I'm up. Though I am absolutely convinced you two are out to kill me!" he barked.

Cecil re-collected the pack, slinging it over his shoulder, and Rydia did the same with her own pack. Then they both waited for Tellah to stand up and complain about his bones, before they headed for the door to the chamber.

"No, not that way!" Tellah instructed, irritated. "The door at the other end! _That _door leads to the exit, not the way we came from. Unless you want to spend days backtracking."

"Are there more torches we can use?" Cecil asked, ignoring his remarks. "The ones we first carried are out."

"Now that you can leave to me," Tellah insisted, picking up his staff and striking the cave floor with its bottom. There was a stone set into the top of the staff and it started to glow once the staff hit the ground. The light it gave off was enough to see by, and Tellah once again took the lead. "What would you do without me down here," he muttered as he walked past them.

"Come on, Rydia," Cecil said darkly.

Rydia followed, but was all too amused by this, and tried not to let Cecil know it. Tellah was such an unusual old man…

They covered quite a bit of distance that day; crossing bridges over twisting cavern streams far below, finding chests filled with ancient armor, and keeping the cavern residents at bay.

Rydia had taken to following Tellah very closely, watching his every movement. Every time he moved his hands, she tried to memorize the way he bent and curved his fingers, hoping to learn something from him. She even mimicked his footsteps that came slow and deliberate.

Cecil kept a curious yet concerned eye in her direction, but said nothing about this odd new behavior. He had decided some time back to just let it be.

Rydia did have a motive for this though; she was determined to devise the lightning spell. If she could find out how the old man did it, maybe she too could cast it. Then she wouldn't be limited to her ice and feeble cure spells, and would be a more useful part of the group, she'd thought.

As they continued on, the monsters began to change. They were more powerful, and some very pesky when it came to enchantments. It was when they started to ascend to higher areas of the cavern that they encountered an enemy they had not previously fought.

Rydia jumped back when she saw them; their pathetic human forms, their vacant eyes…

"Oh wonderful. Zombies," Tellah chimed in.

Cecil drew his sword and advanced, determined to remove the six attackers out of their path. He swung at the nearest, but his sword merely glanced off.

"Your sword is a shadow blade. Shadows cannot pierce through evil like this. Only fire can burn these lost souls," Tellah explained.

He began to chant the fire spell, and Rydia, for the first time that day didn't watch the old man's movements, but tightly shut her eyes.

Tellah released a fire spell that burned through three of the forms. He grunted when he saw three others had resisted the attack, not what he had expected. "Resilient buggers…" he grumbled.

One of the undead, provoked by the attack, charged and came towards Rydia. She opened her eyes just in time to see him lurch towards her, and out of instinct she held out her hands and shouted a phrase of warning she remembered from Mist.

At her call, a swift bolt of lightning erupted through the cavern roof and burned straight through the zombie, leaving it in ashes.

Tellah released another fire spell and destroyed the remaining two attackers, before turning swiftly on Rydia.

"What was that? How did you do that?" he insisted.

Rydia was too awestruck to respond. She was still staring straight ahead at where the zombie had been.

"Child, did you hear me?" Tellah repeated. "I've never seen anyone perform a lightning spell like that, where did you learn it?"

"I—I have no idea," she answered.

"Rydia," Cecil interrupted, "do you remember how you did it?"

"I think so..."

Tellah clicked his tongue and walked away from the two of them. "The summoners, what secrets they must have possessed," he said more to himself than anyone else.

"This should help us up ahead, then," Cecil added. "Now the two of you can cast lightning."

"Yes, this is advantageous," Tellah admitted. "Strange, but advantageous. However, we can't spend much more time on it. Let's move on, there's a little ways yet to go."

They climbed a set of stone steps that had been carved into the cave floor and walked towards a light. A light that after so many hours of blundering around in the dark, was blinding.

"What is this?" Cecil asked.

"A valley within the mountains," Tellah told him. "On the other side is the last of the water caverns, and our long awaited friend."

"Come along now. We're almost there," Tellah said again, looking back at them once, and then picking up his pace through a sea of vibrant green grass.


	10. Chapter 10

O.O Phew! This one was…a beast. Sorry it took me so long to get this next chapter posted! I also apologize for any grammar or spelling errors that may be scattered about; I kind of finished writing this on very little sleep. The water caverns are finally over! At last…I was getting sick of those caves… Well, here we go onto the last chapter of the caves and then into Damcyan. Enjoy! And also, thanks to all who've been reading and reviewing!

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Part X: A Watery Exit

They crossed the valley in a few hours, and then rested before their descent into the final section of the cavern.

Rydia tried to gather her wits. She had never fought anything that even Cecil thought he couldn't handle. She glanced in his direction and saw that he was tightening the sword around his waist. He looked so imposing in his black armor; the spikes, the horns, the overall darkness he exuded. But Rydia could tell he was not looking forward to this fight despite his powerful armor.

Tellah seemed to be in another world entirely, probably still thinking what he would do once he found his daughter. He had been muttering about some bad feeling in his gut from about halfway across the valley, and Cecil had decided it was just indigestion. Rydia wasn't so sure, though. She too felt that something was wrong up ahead, she just couldn't figure out what.

In their own ways, they readied themselves for what was ahead, and then Tellah led them down again into darkness.

………………………………………….

This section of the cavern led immediately into water. Rydia sunk up to her waist, Cecil up to his knees.

Rydia could hear the sound of rushing water and felt a current tugging at her. She clung to Cecil so she wouldn't get dragged away.

"Up ahead a bit farther now," Tellah explained, and walked on.

They eventually came to a small outcropping of rock where all three of them stood and looked down. They stood just at the edge of a waterfall with no visible way of climbing down to the bottom.

"He's down there!" Tellah announced. "The only way to get there is to follow the water."

Cecil turned incredulously. "What? How are we supposed to survive a fall like that?"

"It's really not that bad. The water is deep enough to drop into without hurting yourself, but not deep enough that you could get stuck down there. If, however, you find a way to sink and not get back up in that armor, I'd be delighted to assist you with my magic," Tellah reassured him with a quick grin before hopping into the water and following the current over the edge.

Cecil stayed where he was and waited for the old man to surface down below. Once he was certain Tellah was still alive, he nudged Rydia forward.

"It might be best if you go first. I don't know how long it will take for me to come back up, and something tells me I'd rather have you helping Tellah remember his spells if something should happen."

Rydia looked up at him puzzled, but agreed, and warily entered the water. The current was stronger here than at the cave entrance, and she felt herself being pulled closer and closer towards the edge and over the waterfall. She had never much liked heights…

She shut her eyes and felt her heart jump up to her throat as the ground slipped away beneath her and the water carried her down. The impact with the cold water at the bottom knocked the wind out of her and she frantically paddled for the surface, wanting to gasp for air. She burst through the surface and opened her eyes. Tellah was standing on a half-submerged rock smiling, and she slowly splashed her way towards him.

"How's that for a refreshing swim?" he asked, amused.

She climbed onto the rock and stood next to him, looking at Cecil and waiting for him to come down next. He seemed very hesitant to go down, though, and for a moment Rydia was very concerned.

"What about his armor. Won't he sink straight down?" she whispered to Tellah.

"Nonsense, he'll be just fine," the old man assured her.

Cecil finally entered the water and came to the edge of the waterfall. He looked down, paused, and jumped. He hit the water like a rock, and the fall jarred his armor, making it sound like the knight had cracked in two. Rydia had to shut her eyes, and then peered through her fingers to see if he was alright.

At first he didn't surface, but then with a violent inhalation, he burst through. Rydia leaned forward, and stared wide-eyed to make sure Cecil was really alright, but he waved to reassure her and then clumsily swam towards them.

"I'm fine," he sputtered. "Just waited a bit too long to take my breath."

"Good. I'm glad you didn't drown. Now let's keep moving," Tellah insisted, then picked up his long robes and walked across a few more half-submerged rocks to reach a path over the water.

Cecil pulled himself out of the water and shook his arms. Water came out by the bucket load, and Rydia stifled a giggle.

"This armor wasn't meant for water," Cecil muttered as he let the rest of the armor drain before moving.

"Is it very heavy?" Rydia asked. "It must be with all that water in it."

"It is. Rydia, do me a favor and never go swimming in armor," he told her, before following Tellah on the path.

Rydia followed after him, confused. Why would anyone want to swim in armor anyway?

………………………………………………….

Tellah led them through three different chambers, all with more chests to be opened. Cecil acquired new pieces of armor that were darker--more imposing than his first. He gladly shed his old armor, as it was uncomfortably wet, and put on the new pieces. It was the first time Rydia ever saw his face, and it was only for a brief moment as it lasted as long as it took for him to remove his old helmet to replace it with a new one. He had his back turned when he did it, but she had still stolen a peek.

From what she could tell, he had a handsome face, but it seemed troubled and tired. She wondered what exactly he was thinking about; if it was Rosa, the other man, Kain, or even if it was Mist. But then he turned his head, and all she could see was the back of it. Then what caught her attention was his hair; how unusual it was with his dark armor. It was so fair it was nearly white, and fell almost to his shoulders. She had never seen hair like it before, and it intrigued her. That was all the looking she had time for before the new helmet covered his face again, and there were only the dark holes for eyes to stare at.

Cecil turned back around to find Rydia staring at him, but only paused for a moment, and paid it no attention. After he had walked past, Rydia wondered why he still kept his face hidden from the world; what secrets he was keeping…

……………………………………

As they continued toward the other exit of the cavern, they fought more fish that seemed to be increasing and becoming more voracious with every step. Rydia had nearly exhausted herself from fighting and defending from their bites, and her leather tunic was scarred from teeth and barbs.

She had sharpened her casting of the lightning spell from the frequent attacks, though, and could even match Tellah in the strength of her spells. The old man seemed surprised, but only nodded now and again when she successfully dispatched a group of malicious fish or other foe. She was proud of herself. Maybe now the old sage could see her as a little more than just a child.

They finally came to the end of the path, and it once again plunged underwater. Cecil seemed less than thrilled, and was even less thrilled to see another waterfall waiting for them farther ahead.

For a few moments all they could hear was the rushing of the water from the waterfall, but suddenly Tellah stirred and pointed to the base of the crashing water.

"There! There he is!"

No sooner did Tellah shout those words that eight enormous red tentacles erupted from the water and lashed out at them.

"Watch out!" Tellah shouted, but Cecil hadn't needed a warning to see them coming. He drew his sword and hacked at one of the tentacles as it swung toward him. As strong as he was, he just couldn't sever the limb and it came back for another pass, which Cecil deflected. The other tentacles writhed and thrashed in the water, sending droplets flying through the air, and Rydia ducked to avoid getting the water in her eyes.

One tentacle reached out and grazed Tellah's shoulder, knocking him off balance, but he quickly recovered. It was chaos with the eight splashing limbs. Rydia couldn't tell where the body of the monster was, and strained her eyes trying to find it in the thrashing water.

"It's an octomammoth!" Tellah shouted above the roar of the water to both her and Cecil. "Rydia, send a lightning spell at it, and we'll try to slow it down while Cecil goes after the tentacles!"

She nodded hurriedly, and tried to break away from the struggle long enough to concentrate on the spell. Tellah leveled one spell on the creature, but it merely shuddered and paused before continuing its assault. The pause was long enough, however, for Cecil to take his chance and go after one of the arms. Finding the one he had half severed, he finished the job and the tentacle fell bloodied into the water.

The monster shrieked in pain and struck back, this time striking Rydia and breaking her concentration. It hit her on the leg, and where it had impacted, it stung. Frustrated, Rydia stopped and watched the two older men combat the creature. Cecil was making good progress on one of the other tentacles, but the octomammoth had grown wise and refused to keep the tentacles within his reach for long, making it difficult for Cecil to go after any which one.

Tellah's spells simply weren't strong enough, and the tentacles that weren't engaged with Cecil were busy deflecting the spells away. Nothing was fast enough; it was simply too strong and too fast.

Rydia set her jaw in determination and wondered if there was anything she could do that would be fast enough to break through its defenses. And then it came to her.

She narrowed her focus once again, this time performing a different kind of spell than before. It took her longer than she thought, but she hadn't done it for some time, and finally she finished it and said the final words.

For a moment the cavern flashed white and everything disappeared, only to correct itself in the blink of an eye, with a golden yellow chocobo appearing in front of the three of them. It squawked expectantly, and Rydia pointed behind it to where the octomammoth was waiting.

The chocobo turned and clawed the water, then charged, racing between the octomammoth's tentacles and pecking at the body, causing the whole creature to bellow in pain and rage.

Tellah released a lightning spell as the chocobo finished its pecking, and Cecil once again went after the tentacles, cutting off three more while it was distracted.

With half of its tentacles lost, the octomammoth began to considerably lose speed and energy. Rydia performed lightning spell after lightning spell, helping Tellah to weaken the creature's body and allowing Cecil to remove the remaining tentacles.

The octomammoth sent a few last attacks their way, vicious attempts at revenge, but in the end, after the whole tedious battle, the creature groaned and moved its last, collapsing into a ruined pile of battered flesh.

Rydia found that after the battle she couldn't move. She was too stunned to move. The remnants of the battle were everywhere, and it made her sick to her stomach. Cecil and Tellah moved closer to what was left of the octomammoth to make sure it was really dead, and then beckoned Rydia over to them. She didn't want to go any closer to the evil creature, not at all, but she knew she'd eventually have to if they were to get out of the caverns and help Rosa.

"You summoned that creature?" Tellah asked quickly, turning on her once she got closer. "Very nicely done. I didn't know that the summoners of Mist began their training so early, but I'm glad. You truly helped us defeat this vile creature, Rydia," he admitted, smiling.

Despite her disgust at the carnage around her, Rydia was strangely proud. She had helped a sage and a dark knight, two men that were greatly beyond her skill and understanding, and she had done something neither of them could. She had also been praised by the one man who never seemed to give out any praise except to himself, and it made her stomach jump with excitement.

Tellah looked from her to Cecil and then his expression hardened. "Thank you both for helping me defeat this demon. Damcyan is now only steps away, and soon I can retrieve my daughter and go home again. Come now, the exit is just beyond the waterfall," he said, leading the way through the cascading water and away from the darkness of the caverns--the carnage of the fight.

As Rydia followed after him, eager to leave, Cecil caught her shoulder and she turned.

He looked down at her and Rydia waited for him to say something.

"Good job," was all he said, but Rydia was almost certain he was smiling, and that was all she needed to know.


	11. Chapter 11

My goodness…definitely did not think this chapter would take me so long to write, but it was a lot more work than I thought. Didn't know how I wanted it at first, and then got distracted by work and family, and thus, it has now been…two weeks? Well, I'll leave it at that, and get you all back to chapter eleven! And thanks again to all of you who've been reading and reviewing! I really appreciate your support! 

myth.

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Part XI: Trouble Across the Sands

Once they passed through the rushing water of the falls, they found themselves in a narrow tunnel that led upwards. It was a steady incline, and far ahead they could see another opening with light streaming through, only this time the light coming from the other side was golden, not green.

As they neared the end of the rock tunnel, Rydia felt the air warm as steadily as the path rose up before them. By the time they came to the opening, it was so hot it was stifling. Rydia had to gasp, surprised by the heat. Cecil also felt the full force of the heat and seemed to sway backwards when it really hit him.

They passed through the opening and found themselves standing on a large precipice overlooking a desert valley. They shielded their eyes from the unforgiving sun and tried to figure out where exactly they should be headed. They climbed over a few boulders and followed the ridge of low mountains for some distance until they began to descend into low, cracked-dirt hills. Once they passed away from the higher ledges and crags of the mountain surrounding the cavern, they could see more than just the valley, but a whole horizon of tawny sand that shimmered in the heat. Even farther in the distance they saw a wavering black speck standing out against the sand, and Tellah was the first to identify it.

"That is the castle of Damcyan, the desert jewel of the north, and home of the crystal of flame."

"It's so far away, though," Rydia intoned, already exhausted by the heat and not excited by having to cross the entire desert.

"Only a day's walk, really," Tellah told her.

"Wait. What is that sound?" Cecil suddenly asked.

The old man paused and tilted his head. "I don't hear any—"

Cecil held up his hand to silence the old man as an unusual humming on the air could be heard.

"I hear it!" Rydia exclaimed.

"I think it's coming from above," Cecil said, cautiously watching the skies.

The faint humming soon became a powerful drone. The three of them stopped and looked up to see three huge objects flying overhead.

"The Red Wings," Cecil muttered. "We need to hurry! Tellah, is there any spell you know that can take us directly to the castle?"

"I don't know if I can recall any. Why, what's this about?"

"The Red Wings are after the crystal, they have to be! If they meet resistance, they won't hesitate to kill!"

"What!" Tellah demanded.

Rydia stared wide-eyed at Cecil and then at the flying airships. Not a moment later, several large explosions could be seen over the sands, the sound of the explosions reaching them a few minutes later.

"It's already begun…We need to get there as quickly as we can!" Cecil insisted, and started running down the hill.

"Wait!" Tellah shouted. "Cecil wait!"

Cecil finally turned and Tellah shuffled down the hill to meet him, Rydia bounding after.

"I think I know a spell that might work. Hold on to me!"

Tellah chanted, and half-way through, the world began to melt around them, like a wet painting smeared by careless fingers. Rydia stared out into their liquid surroundings in awe, but everything soon hardened again into identifiable shapes, and they found themselves face to face with a large stone wall jutting up out of the flat ground, the mountains far away behind them.

"We made it?" Cecil asked.

"It actually worked!" Tellah said triumphantly, but immediately set himself to the purpose of finding a way inside the castle.

While Tellah searched, Cecil and Rydia both paused and stared up at the wall. It was badly damaged, and they could smell smoke coming from the inside. A few bodies were sprawled on the ground, burned and bloodied; the casualties of the explosions.

Rydia felt tears well up in her eyes and balled her hands into fists. _Who would do this?_ She wondered.

Cecil laid a hand on her shoulders and led her away in the direction Tellah was headed.

They followed the length of the wall until at last they came to an entrance. Rydia guessed it was once a main gate, but it was so destroyed in the attack all that was left of it was the hinges.

Tellah had already passed through and was halfway across the inner courtyard by the time Cecil and Rydia entered.

There was fire everywhere, and smoke billowing up from the battered towers. The farther in they traveled, the more bodies they found as well. This time the culprit was arrows, not the explosion.

Rydia had a difficult time keeping her head clear. The sights, the smells…They were so familiar, and in her mind replayed all the images of barely a month ago. Her mother, the other villagers…Tears welled up in her eyes.

"This is the work of Baron…" Cecil said darkly. "This is the work of the man I once served without question…"

While they picked their way through the wreckage and death of the castle's courtyard, Tellah had disappeared through a set of doors that led to the main structure of the castle. There was a staircase behind the doors, and it climbed into the belly of the castle's interior.

Rydia and Cecil followed sometime after. They found the elegant stonework that had once graced the staircase walls scarred and chipped, and had a difficult time breathing. The higher up the staircase they climbed, the worse the smoke filtering down became.

The castle had been built up, not out, and to reach the throne of the king, one had to climb its various levels to the top. There were guards lying on the stone floor of every level, and as they continued to climb, Rydia began to fear that no one had survived the attack.

Tellah was still ahead of them, but as they reached the base of another staircase, they heard him yell in anguish the name of his daughter.

Cecil led the sprint up the stairs, and when they reached the top between the smoke and dust, they saw the body of a young woman with red hair lying on the floor. A young man with long golden hair stood beside her sobbing, and before Cecil and Rydia could fully assess the situation, Tellah had already raised his staff and charged.

"You!" the old man snarled.

The young man, caught off guard, stood back and raised his hands. "No! Please!"

Rydia saw he was wearing fine clothes and carried a harp, and then she understood. This was the bard who'd run off with Tellah's daughter.

"I'll kill you for this! How could you do this to my daughter!"

"Please listen, the Red Wings' attack…"

"Shut-up!" Tellah shouted, the hand holding the staff shaking in anger.

The young man fled backwards, away from the raging old man.

"Please!"

"You—You SPOONY bard!" Tellah snapped, exasperated.

The young man had finally backed himself into a corner, and Tellah was about to strike, when a voice pierced through his angry assault.

"Father, stop!"

The young man spared, everyone's attention turned to the woman on the floor. Tellah was the first to reach her.

"Anna! You're alive!" he exclaimed, unable to keep his emotions in check.

Rydia and Cecil moved closer and saw the girl alive, but struggling for air. She had been pierced by three arrows and it was a miracle she was still conscious. Tellah leaned over his daughter and stroked her hair. She was beautiful, but her face was pained and she remained completely serious when she spoke again.

"Father, forgive me for running away, but I love Edward. He is the prince of Damcyan, and we were about to return to Kaipo to speak with you and put an end to this quarrel when the Red Wings attacked."

"Anna…"

"The Red Wings attacked so quickly, there was so little time. They were being led by Golbez, I think that's what they called him. He took each level by force, made my parents open the chamber to the crystal, and there he killed them. Anna and I were trying to escape, but they caught sight of us and Anna was in the path of the arrows."

"It's true, father. This wasn't Edward's fault."

Tellah wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I love you, father, but understand that this was my choice."

She held her father's gaze as she said this, and then coughed painfully, blood showing at the corners of her mouth. She took one more gasp of air, one final breath, and then she was still. Tellah sat in silence for a moment, then closed her eyes and smoothed her hair, looked on her one more time, and stood up.

Edward dropped to the floor and began to weep, not caring who saw him.

"Stop it! Crying's not going to bring her back!" Tellah growled, then turned away from the others and started to walk towards the staircase.

"If it was Golbez who did this, it is Golbez who will die for it. I will make sure he knows whose daughter he murdered."

Rydia took her eyes away from the girl and looked at Tellah, then Cecil, who quickly stepped forward and grasped the old man's arm.

Tellah swung with his staff and struck Cecil's hand away.

"I don't need your help! I will avenge my daughter's death my own way!" he snapped, then hurried down the stairs and left them.

Cecil, stunned, watched the empty staircase for a few minutes, and then returned to Rydia and the prince who was still weeping for his love.

"Anna! Anna, Anna! Please wake up!"

He held both her shoulders and tried to shake her awake as if she were only sleeping.

Rydia, still overwhelmed by what they had seen, had become a bit cold to the prince's behavior. Didn't he understand she was gone? She watched him shake his love, watched as he tried to bring her back, but Anna never opened her eyes. Her crimson hair, like blood, like fire, reminded Rydia of her mother. The last image of her mother lying cold on the ground was too much. Too much destruction, too much death, and far too many tears…she had finally had enough.

"Stop it! Stop crying! She's gone! You are a man, a grown-up! You're not the only one who has lost loved ones!" and at that, her voice broke.

"Rydia…" Cecil said quietly.

"I don't care! Leave me, because I'm not leaving this spot! I won't be parted from her side," the prince sobbed.

Now Cecil had had enough. He walked up behind the prince, pulled him to his feet, and struck him hard across the shoulders.

"Wake up! You have responsibilities! You are now the rightful ruler of Damcyan, so start acting like it! You owe it to your people, most of all, you owe it to Anna. King of Damcyan, my name is Cecil, and I need your help."

"But I'm useless; I'm not strong, I'm not brave, I'm of no use to anybody."

Cecil paused. "You're of use to me. My friend is suffering from desert fever in Kaipo, and I need the sand ruby to cure her. Can you help me find it, your majesty?"

The prince looked up with reddened eyes. "Your friend, what is her name?"

"Her name is Rosa."

"Rosa…she must be very dear to you for you to have traveled all this way. Just like Anna was to me--worth traveling any distance for." Here he paused, collected himself, and then continued. "The sand ruby can be found in a cave to the east of here. It is formed from the fluid an antlion secretes when it lays its eggs. We can take a hovercraft to reach the cave, and then take it across the shallows to Kaipo once we have the ruby."

"Thank you, but we must hurry."

"This way, I'll take you to the hovercraft," Edward said, stepping reluctantly around his love and towards the stairs. "You can make preparations, but there a few things I must do first before we leave here," he added, speaking over his shoulder.

Cecil nodded and took Rydia again by the shoulders. Together they left the room, leaving the sad scene behind them, and hoping they wouldn't be met with a similar one once they reached Kaipo. Edward met them at the bottom of the stairs and after they'd passed, returned to the top floor.

He looked at the form of his love lying broken on the floor. Her beautiful face at rest, her hair a soft pillow beneath her head; she looked so peaceful…But as he looked at her she began to fade from his vision until there was nothing in the room but emptiness. He guessed it was some enchantment, something Tellah had done, but once she was gone it became real to him. She was gone. Yet here he was, the ruler of his country standing alone.

He continued to stare through bleary eyes at where she had last been lying on the floor. After a few minutes he finally turned, but before he retreated back down the stairs, he took the time to say one last thing:

"Good-bye, Anna."


	12. Chapter 12

Here we are, chapter twelve. I keep having gaps between these chapters…I have so much going on right now, it's difficult to sit down and write, but I'm working on it. Here's the next installment, and once again, thanks for everyone for their reviews!

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Part XII: Leaving Damcyan

Knowing it would take Edward some time to lead them to the hovercraft, Cecil and Rydia walked all the way back down the stairs together in silence. While re-tracing their steps through the smoky and dust-filled chambers, Rydia was having a hard time understanding Tellah's abrupt departure; surprised that a man of his age and skill could harbor so much anger. She was afraid for him. If the man who destroyed this castle was the same man Tellah was after, she didn't see how the old man could survive.

"Cecil," she asked quietly when they reached the base of the castle's main tower. "Do you think Tellah will be alright?"

"I'm not sure, Rydia."

"Why does he want to do this by himself?"

Cecil paused and looked down at her. "For revenge."

"Revenge?"

"When someone harms you or someone you love, you retaliate and seek to do as much harm to them as they did to you."

"Does it bring happiness to the person who goes looking for revenge?"

"I haven't heard of any quests for revenge ending happily, no."

"So Tellah…"

"He may not go that far, Rydia. He may turn back."

"I hope so…"

While Cecil and Rydia waited for the king, they took some time to search through the ruins. As they wandered through the battered courtyard, they saw movement among the rubble. Some of the guards had been unconscious, not dead, and they began to sit up and brush themselves off before standing up to see what had become of their compatriots. Rydia felt her heart jump with excitement and happiness. Not all had been lost! Realizing that there was something she could do to help, she ran from person to person, using her cure spell to get them up on their feet. Soon there were many more guards coughing and pushing rubble off of themselves, before they too tended to the other wounded. Those already up had begun to carry off the dead.

Before their eyes, the damaged castle started to come back to life. Cecil helped some of the surviving guardsmen take the dead and move them beneath the courtyard, into the cool catacombs, and Rydia helped to cure more of the wounded as best she could.

When Edward finally emerged from the castle's main tower with two other people, an old man and an old woman, he found his courtyard full of activity and life. He almost wept for joy when he saw the other survivors, and came up to Rydia and Cecil with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed. "You have helped my people in their time of need, how can I ever repay you?"

Rydia looked up at the king with a huge smile plastered on her face, but tiredly swayed forward and back. She had spent the last of her energy the heat hadn't destroyed by curing the wounded. Cecil stretched out a hand to keep her upright.

"If it's no trouble, your majesty, is there anything here that might cure exhaustion?"

Edward furrowed his brow and looked at the sky while he thought. The old woman, who had entered the courtyard with the king, stepped forward then.

"As a matter of fact we do!" she announced. "Follow me. I'll take you to the pots of healing water."

The three of them, the king, Cecil, and Rydia followed the old woman back into the main tower, but this time they stayed on the first level.

The woman led them to a far corner of the room and found a large, decorative barrel. She pryed off the top and beckoned to Rydia.

Rydia stepped forward and peered into the barrel. The water inside was quietly lapping back at forth at the sides and she cautiously reached inside with cupped hands and lifted a handful of the cool water to her mouth. It was refreshing and delicious. Rydia had never tasted water like it in her life, and no sooner did she finish the rest of the water, she felt completely re-energized.

"This water is delicious!" Rydia said happily.

The woman beside her smiled, and then Cecil stepped up to the barrel. He tilted his helmet back and took a sip.

"This is delicious water," he confirmed.

"It's used to make elixirs; found in the purest underground springs. It will give you back your strength," the woman explained.

"Now that you're refreshed, I will take you to the hovercraft!" Edward said, and then led them back to the courtyard and towards a side entrance that led to an exterior chamber.

Inside the chamber rested an unusual looking vehicle.

"If I may ask, how did Damcyan come across such a contraption?" Cecil asked Edward.

Edward smiled sheepishly. "Baron's rejects I'm afraid. While in the process of creating the airships, they created this vehicle as well. But being disappointed with it, they offered it to anyone who wanted it, and we bought it to cross the shallows between here and Kaipo."

"Interesting. I didn't know Cid had constructed anything quite like this."

Edward looked at Cecil curiously. "Cid?"

Cecil shook his head dismissively. "Baron's chief engineer. He built the airships."

"Do you know him?"

"I do. I was raised in Baron, and met him there."

"Was he the one who built the Red Wings, then?"

Cecil didn't answer. "I'd rather not discuss it right now, your majesty."

Visibly disappointed, Edward turned his attention back to the hovercraft.

"Can it really fly?" Rydia asked.

Brightening, Edward answered her. "Of course it can fly! Not as high as the birds, but it floats above the sands like a butterfly flitting between flowers of the field…" he told her, starting to sound like a song.

Rydia tried to hide a grin and gave Cecil a very mischievous glance when Edward wasn't looking.

"Come along now, let's find this ruby for your friend!" Edward announced, jumping into the hovercraft. "Before we go though, I'd prefer if you didn't call me 'your majesty'. Please call me Edward."

Cecil nodded, and he and Rydia then climbed into the hovercraft after Edward.

Edward started the hovercraft with a small crystal embedded into its front panel and it steadily lurched itself off of the ground. Once they were up, he maneuvered some of its pedals and they exited the chamber to find themselves once again at the mercy of the blazing sun.

"Hold on now!" Edward told them and allowed the hovercraft to go to its maximum speed. Rydia nearly fell over in her seat. They were moving faster than she had ever imagined it possible to move without the help of magic. The wind made the desert almost bearable, and it whipped through her curly locks, making it feel as if she herself were flying away. The sands beneath them, the mountains to the south--they all began to melt away behind them, but in front of them they began to see water; clear blue streaks of it on the horizon.

Rydia had never seen the ocean before and when they neared it, even though it was one of the smaller bays, she practically jumped out of the hovercraft to go stand at the its edge.

They passed miles and miles of coast before finding pale shallows that the hovercraft sped over, lifting the water up from beneath and spraying it behind them. When they had crossed the shallows, Edward brought them close to another chain of mountains and stopped at the base of one of the mountains where a cave entrance could be seen in the hills.

"Here is the cave of the antlion," he told them, reaching over to grab his harp before jumping daintily out of the hovercraft.

He led them to the entrance, and they all descended into its cool depths. This cave was much different from the water caverns, Rydia noticed. The walls were red, and looked and felt quite a bit like clay. It reminded her of an ant nest the more they followed its bends, curves, and hollows.

Cecil held up the torch that shed light onto the chiseled out walls as they explored the various tunnels. Edward led them from room to room, and was a fairly quiet guide unless something caught his interest, and then he chattered on about it for some time. Rydia was amazed at how talkative the king could be, almost like a young boy eager to show off, but at the same time, sheepish, and he sometimes had more words than his tongue could speak.

While they descended deeper into the tunnels, following Edward's directions and listening to his knowledge of the cave, they encountered monsters that Rydia had never encountered before in their previous experiences. Not even Cecil's sword could damage them. Rydia found herself relying on her magic more than her bow, especially on the strange black lizard creatures that had almost turned Cecil to stone. The monsters here were strange; most of them were insects, and Rydia wondered why that was. During one of their battles, Cecil and Rydia were struggling to take down another one of the lizards, when they both heard music coming from behind them. Rydia turned to see Edward gently picking the strings of his harp and singing a lilting tune. The black lizard, that Cecil had determined was a basilisk, fell to the ground, asleep.

"What did you do to it?" Rydia asked him, amazed.

"I sang it to sleep. All creatures have a certain weakness to song, even the basilisks," Edward answered.

Cecil, taking the opportunity, approached the basilisk and dealt the final blow.

Rydia kept her attention on Edward. "How many tunes do you know?"

"Oh, many! There are songs of enchantment, songs of sleep, I can even sing love between two people. There is so much power in music."

Rydia smiled brightly at him.

"Was it your singing that won Anna's heart?" Cecil asked, returning to where both Edward and Rydia were standing.

Edward's expression immediately fell. "W-well, yes. She loved it when I sang and played for her. I would have played anything for her."

"I'm sure she can hear your tunes even now, Edward. They say that music is eternal. If there is as much power in music as you say, surely she can hear you even now."

Edward smiled slightly, "Thank you, Cecil. I'm sure you're right."

They continued onward, and thankfully, this cave was not as large as the water caverns. After only having traveled for a little while, they finally reached a chamber that sloped downward to a pit. Edward walked ahead of them, headed towards the pit.

"This is where the antlion lays its eggs and where we can find the sand ruby," he explained while he walked. Cecil and Rydia followed some distance behind him.

When he reached the bottom, two large pincers drove their way out of the sandy pit.

Rydia gasped and jumped back in fear. _That_ was why the cave was full of insects. This _was _an ant nest!

"No fears, the antlion is quite tame. All I have to do is step forward and take the—my goodness!"

Rydia and Cecil watched as the pincers snapped shut and almost caught Edward between them. Shocked and looking very close to panic, Edward jumped back towards the two of them.

Cecil immediately took initiative. "Seems he needs some help, Rydia," he said, drawing his sword and advancing.

Rydia followed Cecil towards Edward and together they faced the antlion who had now completely surfaced. It was brown and red, very wiry, and its pincers were almost half the size of its body. It anxiously snapped the pincers at them, waiting for someone to make another move.

"Edward, can you draw its attention with your music? I'll go in from the other side."

"But I—I—" Edward stammered, still stunned from the attack.

"Never mind!" Cecil shouted, charging forward with his sword raised, and striking the antlion behind its pincers near one of its shoulders.

The moment the antlion was hit, it retaliated, shaking a multitude of small spikes in Edward's direction. Hit, Edward crumpled to the ground.

Rydia saw him fall and immediately went to work chanting the cure spell. Once she released it, Edward was no where to be found. The spell fell to empty air, and she looked about curiously for the king.

"Rydia, just keep attacking it, hopefully it will give up quickly," Cecil told her in a rush.

She agreed, and gave up looking for Edward to focus on summoning. Cecil struck again and again at the antlion, and every time Cecil hit it, the creature retaliated with spikes. Rydia was hit by them on a few occasions and they tore at her skin like rose thorns. However uncomfortable, she continued to summon her chocobo and command it to attack the other creature. The antlion was a very persistent creature, and it was quite a while before Cecil and Rydia had any success of weakening it.

Cecil struck two last times, and finally, the creature gave up, collapsing to the dirt, its jaws slack and open. Cecil stepped up to its body and found the nest it had been guarding. Among the eggs rested a small, but very deeply colored ruby. Cecil picked it up and stared at it in the dim light of the torch they had set into the cave floor.

"This must be it," he said, relieved.

"Now we can go cure Rosa!" Rydia said smiling.

"Is it—is it over?" they heard a voice call out from behind them.

Cecil and Rydia turned to see Edward cowering behind a stone formation in the chamber.

"It's over."

Edward hobbled over to them, looking very pathetic and bleeding profusely from the wounds caused by the antlion barbs. Rydia once again chanted the cure spell, and this time it found the proper recipient. Feeling much better, Edward stood up fully and looked at the stone in Cecil's hand, then at the still form of the antlion.

"But I don't understand. Normally the antlion is tame, docile. Why was it so aggressive?"

"It's happening everywhere. Once tame animals are becoming fierce and aggressive, and they're multiplying in numbers. Something is upsetting them."

"So you have the sandruby?"

Cecil nodded.

"Come on! We have to go!" Rydia said quickly. "We need to help Rosa!"

Cecil looked at Rydia who was impatiently staring at him, waiting for the two of them to follow her and return to the hovercraft.

"You're right, Rydia, we have to hurry. Edward, are you ready to go?" he asked.

Edward, still a tad bit shaken, finally turned his eyes from the antlion, and nodded. "Yes, we should leave right away. Your friend is in need. I don't want to be the reason for another loss."

"Let's go!" Rydia shouted, and ran up the sides of the pit to the opening of the chamber.

Cecil and Edward followed behind her, and they quickly returned to the exit of the cave and out again into daylight. They ran for the hovercraft, and Edward brought it into the air. Rydia looked over at Cecil, who held the sand ruby in his hand for inspection. She wondered if he was alright.

As the hovercraft sped over the land, the sea, and back into the desert, she hoped that Rosa was still alive, and that they could still cure her.

As he watched the landscape fly past them, Cecil was hoping the same thing. He stared at the ruby in his hand, watched its imperfect facets reflect the light, and could only hope that they made it to Kaipo in time.


	13. Chapter 13

Part XIII: The Cure

Edward took them across the entire Damcyan desert in hours. What would have taken weeks of traveling took them less than a day. Rydia and Cecil both sat anxiously in their seats, hoping the journey wouldn't take much longer, but nervously watching the sky darken into evening.

"Should we stop to rest?" Edward asked them at one point.

Cecil shook his head. "No. We need to reach Kaipo as soon as possible. We can rest once we get there."

Edward nodded and continued to fly the hovercraft across the sands. Rydia hung to the side of the craft and stared at the never-changing ground beneath them. She had never imagined that her life would have taken such an interesting turn of events; that she would be placed into a journey that would take her so far from her home. The world outside of Mist was a strange one. The people were full of grief and fear, and as she had seen with Tellah, anger. But then there were the people like Cecil and Edward, men who had loved and would fight to protect those loves. She was glad to know that even in a world so full of trouble, there were still people willing to fight for the ones they loved.

She knew the role Cecil had played in her mother's death, but she knew it wasn't his fault. The both of them had been victims of another man's greed, and now they had met others who had been hurt as well. It made Rydia angry that what happened to Mist might happen to someone else, and she didn't want to let that happen again. Curing Rosa was the first step in their journey. Rosa could help them, and together they could help the other kingdoms from meeting the same fate as Damcyan.

Rydia closed her eyes and tried to forget the burning of the castle; the rubble and the bodies, and as she leaned on the side of the hovercraft she felt a cool mist brush against her face. It was calm and soothing, and it smelled so fresh. It brought her back to happier times; times when she and her mother would walk around the village in the morning. Rydia remembered the mornings in Mist. How beautiful they were--always cool, the air always so clean--and she remembered that once she and her mother had visited the small pond just outside of the village to watch the Mist float up from the water and dance with the sun's rays. She could hear the voices of children leaving their houses in the early hours, the bell in the square ringing to mark the time, and the village elder already awake and telling stories from his stump in the practice fields.

Rydia soaked in every moment of it, the warmth of the memories, and wished when she opened her eyes it could all be that way, the way she remembered it. When she did open her eyes she saw the ocean fast approaching. Edward had flown them to the other side of the desert to the ocean on the far side. She looked left and right in surprise. They had come this far already?

They flew towards and over the waves, leaving a cool spray of water behind them in the night air. They followed the shallows for miles, skirting the kingdom's western border and watching the mountains rise and fall beside them on the shore.

The entire night was spent flying over the water, and without realizing it, Rydia fell asleep. She woke up to see the sun rising above the mountains and the desert surrounding them once again. Only this time she could see a cluster of buildings beside a glistening lake in the distance. Immediately, she sat upright.

"Is that Kaipo?" she asked.

"Yes it is," Edward answered her.

"Cecil, we're almost to Kaipo!" she said excitedly.

Cecil, who had been awake the entire time, nodded wearily when he heard her.

When they finally reached the village, all of them jumped out and ran through the gate. The villagers seemed surprised; surprised that they had returned, and surprised that Edward was with them. They all stopped their business and watched the three of them race for the far side of the village, to the house closest to the water.

Cecil knocked hard on the door, and the old woman opened it. Upon recognizing them, she ushered them all inside.

"Hurry, hurry, you've come just in time," she was saying.

As Rydia followed Cecil to the back room of the home, she saw him hastily remove his helmet, strands of silver hair falling to his shoulders, and take the sand ruby in his other hand. She and Edward both stood in the entrance to the room and watched as Cecil bent over Rosa and placed the ruby in the palm of her hand. The ruby began to glow a deep scarlet, and as it grew in color, Rosa's breathing steadied, and her flush cheeks reddened.

"It is draining the fever from her," the old man who had cared for Rosa told them while they watched it work.

"Will she be alright?" Cecil asked, anxiously.

"She should be, but give it time."

A few minutes later, Rosa's soft brown eyes fluttered open.

"Cecil? You're alive!" she happily exclaimed, attempting to sit up.

Cecil, visibly confused that she had been so worried about _him, _gently pushed her back down to her pillow. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine," Rosa dismissed with a coaxing smile, "I thought I'd lost you, Cecil. Weren't you in Mist when the earthquake struck?"

Cecil paused, remembering. The earthquake. Rydia.

"I was. Rosa, I'm sorry I worried you."

Rosa's doe eyes gazed up at him, starting to shimmer with unshed tears. "You don't know how relieved I am to see you."

Cecil smiled sadly, "You don't know how relieved Iam to see _you_. But Rosa, there's something I don't understand. Who is Golbez, and what has he to do with Baron?"

Rosa's eyes darkened. "Golbez…"

She turned her head away and a troubled expression spread across her face. "He is the new captain of the Red Wings, appointed by the king himself. Cecil, I don't know what's become of the king, but something is terribly wrong. He hasn't been himself lately, and I fear that Golbez is manipulating the king to collect the crystals for himself. He already has the water crystal of Mysidia, and he's sure to go after the other three—the fire crystal of Damcyan, the air crystal of Fabul, and the earth crystal of Troia."

"The fire crystal of Damcyan is already lost, I'm afraid," Edward said, entering the conversation.

Turning, Cecil realized he hadn't introduced his companions. "Rosa, this is Edward, the prince of Damcyan, and Rydia, a summoner of Mist. I couldn't have gotten the sand ruby to cure you without them."

Rydia smiled shyly, "Hello."

"Hello, Rydia. Thank you both so much for all you've done. But if Damcyan has already fallen, the next target must be Fabul. We need to—" she attempted, but was cut off by her own coughs.

"Rosa, you need to rest!" Cecil interrupted her, concerned. "Don't worry, we'll travel to Fabul and warn them."

"But to reach Fabul we'll need to cross Mt. Hobbs, and last I heard, that pass was blocked by thick ice!" Edward protested.

Rosa rested her eyes on Rydia. "Rydia, can you cast fire?"

Rydia immediately froze; a chill running through her body. It was a long time before she answered.

"No."

"But fire is the most elementary of black magic spells. As a summoner, I'm sure it would be easy for you!"

Rosa couldn't go on, as she broke into another coughing fit.

"That's enough. You're definitely not coming with us." Cecil persisted.

"I'll be alright, Cecil," Rosa pled, "As a white mage, I promise I won't be a burden."

Edward took note of the situation and stepped forward. "Cecil, she only wants to be with you."

Cecil looked down at his hands that were resting on the edge of the bed and then looked into Rosa's eyes. "We'll go together, then. Make sure you get plenty of rest, and we'll head out in the morning."

"Thank you, Cecil," Rosa said warmly, her eyes still sparkling, and a smile spread across her face.

"But Cecil, it already _is_ morning!" Rydia pointed out.

"So it is," Cecil acknowledged.

"It may be morning, but you all look exhausted, and you're welcome to stay here until tomorrow morning if you wish," the old man offered from behind them. "We'll just…ah…move some things around to make the room."

Cecil stood and walked over to the man to shake his hand. "I can't thank you enough for all you've done."

The old man smiled, "I was glad to do it. It's not often I have a chance to do something for so many young people."

"I'll add the story of your deeds in that book of songs I gave you," Edward said cheerfully.

The man chuckled. "I don't know if it's truly worthy of a song, but I was glad to be of help."

"Here are some blankets," the old woman chimed in, entering the room with an armload of sheets, blankets, and pillows so that her face was buried.

Rydia had to giggle at the sight, and the rest of the room started laughing too.

"If you need help with anything, let me know," she told them, "Otherwise, goodnight to you all!"

"Thank you!" they all replied in unison, as the old man and woman left them in the room with Rosa.

"We should all get to sleep," Cecil announced, taking the blankets off of the floor and passing them out among the others.

Rydia took her blanket with a smile and found herself a corner of the room to curl up in.

Edward and Cecil both found space on the floor to lie down, and before the candle that softly illuminated the room went out, blanketing the whole room in darkness, Rydia looked over at Cecil, and saw Rosa's hand in his.

A content smile spread across her face, knowing they hadn't been too late to save Rosa after all. But finding herself exhausted from their traveling, she quickly slipped into a deep sleep, the smile still on her lips.

…………………………………………………..

Author's Note:

I feel like this chapter is much longer than it actually is. It certainly took me long enough to write! Good grief. There isn't too much Rydia perspective on the second half of the chapter, mostly because it revolves around Cecil and Rosa. Therefore, I gave her the first half to balance things out. Yes, I know I didn't really resolve the whole issue with the fire spell that Rosa brings up, but don't worry, once Rosa's coughing fits subside, it'll be back with a vengeance. I'm also starting to pick up the pace a little bit more. I'm sure I'm not the only one impatient to get to the Land of the Summoned Monsters

Sorry for the delay in updates, this month has been busy, and at the moment, I'm a bit spazzed that I haven't gotten a call from my boy in Iraq for three weeks. That may be why I was so lazy with this chapter…the fact that it was the reunion of Cecil and Rosa. Lucky girl. I will also be gone this weekend, so no updates, and no reviews, I apologize. Perhaps on Monday? We shall see. Thanks again to all my reviewers, I'll light a fire under my butt and get down to business one of these days real soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Part XIIII: Melting Fears and Doubts

Sometime during the night Rydia opened one eye and thought she heard a sad, melodic tune drifting on the air. She propped herself up on one elbow and strained her ears to listen to the notes rise and fall in a steady, but unhurried rhythm. She closed her eyes again and stayed still, letting the music take her thoughts away. It was almost as if a spell held her attention, she couldn't pry herself away from its beautiful sound.

When the music abruptly stopped, the melody interrupted, Rydia opened her eyes and gazed into the darkness of the room. She wondered what time of day it was, and slowly pulled her blanket away and crawled across the floor in the direction of the door.

On her way, she stumbled over Edward's blankets and noticed that he wasn't there. Confused, she continued anyway to the door, reached it, and lifted the handle to peer down the long hardwood hallway of the old couple's home. The moon was out and the light it cast filtered into the home through the front windows, faintly illuminating the home with an eerie blue glow.

It was night already? Rydia's eyebrows rose when she realized she had slept the entire day away. She closed the door again and crawled back to her bed, hoping she could fall asleep again until the next morning if it wasn't morning already.

While she curled up into her blanket, she suddenly realized what she would have to face in the morning--the ice blocking the pass through the mountains. She couldn't-- wouldn't cast fire. It was the first time since Tellah's departure that she really wished he'd come back so he could cast the spell and not she. She didn't want to prove herself like she had in the water caverns; she just wanted to get to the other side of the mountains as quickly as possible. Rydia scrunched her eyes shut harder, hoping that no one would remember in the morning, and would find a different way to solve the problem.

It took quite a while before sleep finally took her over, and hid her fears into the back corners of her mind.

…………………………………………….

In the morning Rydia was rudely awaked by Edward, who she found furiously packing his harp and other equipment into a sack.

She immediately sat up and noticed that both Cecil and Rosa were missing. Her gaze returned to the distracted bard, and she watched as he folded up his bedding and did everything in such a hasty manner, that he didn't even notice her.

"What's going on?" she asked innocently, yet slightly perplexed.

Edward stopped, his eyes snapping onto her as if she had just popped out of the ground. "We have to keep moving. We need to reach the pass and protect the people. Anna would have wanted it. Anna—"

"Edward…" Rydia said softly. "Where are Cecil and Rosa?"

He shook his head and pointed at the door.

"They left earlier this morning. They're in the town."

Rydia threw her blanket off and ran through the doorway and into the hall. She smiled at the old couple when she saw them at the end of the hall, and continued until she was out of the house and standing in the sun.

The air was already hot, but there was a slight breeze from the lake and Rydia walked in its direction. When she rounded the corner of the house she saw Cecil and Rosa sitting on a small bench near the water beneath the shade of a beautiful tree. Rydia discovered that Cecil's helmet was still off, as was most of his armor. She walked towards them, and as she got nearer, she saw Rosa leaning her head on Cecil's shoulder, and Cecil wrapping his arm around Rosa's waist. They looked so happy and content, not so worried or concerned as they had the night before. Cecil had been fairly stern with Rosa when they first arrived, but Rydia knew it stemmed from his concern for her health, and his fear that the ruby wouldn't work completely--she had been worried herself. But now they looked genuinely happy, and it made Rydia glad that the worrying was over. She had so many questions for the golden haired woman, and so many things to tell her.

She came up to them from behind and slowly stepped around so that she was facing them from the side.

Cecil was the first to see her, and his clear blue eyes caught her in their gaze. He released his hold on Rosa's waist, and instead, leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands.

"What is it, Rydia?" he asked.

Rydia stood completely still for perhaps a second longer than she wanted to. She couldn't stop staring. She hadn't expected his eyes to be so clear or so blue. It was the first time she had really gotten to see his eyes without his helmet since they first met. The other night she hadn't even noticed because the room had been dimly lit and her attention had been mostly devoted to Rosa. But now that she saw them, she didn't understand something--those eyes weren't intended for black armor; they were kind, honest, and they sparkled with something, but she couldn't tell what.

Discovering that he was still waiting for her to say something with his eyebrows raised, she shook herself out of her stupor.

"I was just looking for you," she answered cheerfully. "How are you feeling, Rosa? We were really worried about you!"

Rosa smiled, her cheeks blushing faintly. "I feel wonderful; much better than before. I really can't thank you enough for all that you did to help Cecil."

Rydia blushed. "We went to help you, and I was glad I could help too."

"Rydia, tell me something," Rosa inquired. "How old are you?"

"I'm seven!" she announced.

"And you went with Cecil all this way?"

Rydia emphatically nodded her head. "We have to help other people from being hurt like the people from my home and Damcyan. I just want to help."

"You're a brave girl, Rydia. I'm sure you'll do great things in the future," Rosa told her, her golden hair tumbling from her shoulders and a reassuring smile on her lips.

Rydia liked Rosa already, despite her jealousy of the other woman's hair. She was kind, and her smile was genuine. In a small way, Rosa even reminded her of her mother.

Cecil finally pulled his head up from his hands and sat upright, glancing at Rosa beside him.

"We should probably get moving," he said. "It's a long way back across Damcyan."

"I'll go get Edward!" Rydia said excitedly, and ran off towards the house, leaving Cecil and Rosa to follow behind her decidedly slower.

Rydia found Edward right where she'd left him, still sitting on the floor looking intently at his gear.

"Edward, Cecil's decided we're leaving," Rydia told him when she stepped into the room.

He barely registered her presence, and Rydia frowned. "What's wrong?"

His vacant eyes dragged their gaze across the floor and finally met her own. He just stared at her, sad and haunted at the same time.

"I don't know what to do. I'm lost. I don't know how to help anyone," he told her, deadpan.

Rydia shifted her weight onto one foot and glared at him. "But you _do_ know how to help people! You helped us find the ruby, and you got us all the way here before it was too late! We're going to help Fabul now, and if you're coming with us, you'll be helping them too!"

A slight bit of warmth touched Edward's eyes. "Rydia…You're right. I'm sorry, I just…it's just so easy to doubt when you've lost so much."

Rydia walked up to him and sat down, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I lost my home too. But I know that I have to keep on going for them--for my mother. I'm going with Cecil because he protected me, and because he wants to protect other people."

"Rydia, you're an incredible girl. I don't know if I've ever met anyone as brave as you."

Rydia blushed at the compliment. "What about you?"

Edward looked away and thought about her question. "Yes. I'll go with Cecil and help him help others. Even if I can't do much on my own, I want to look back and know that I did _something."_

Rydia gave him an encouraging smile. "You want to know something?" she asked.

Edward looked at her curiously.

"That was brave, what you just said."

He smiled back at her then, picked up his equipment, and stood. "Thank you, Rydia. I think I'm ready to leave now."

She smiled back and stood up herself. As Rydia was standing, Cecil re-entered the room with Rosa.

"We should gather all of our things and prepare to leave. We'll need to reach Fabul as quickly as possible," he said as he crossed the room to Rosa's bed and picked up his armor.

Rosa watched Cecil for a moment and then picked up a slender bow and quiver from a table at the foot of the bed. She was dressed in white robes, and her beautiful hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail.

Rydia watched her companions gather their things, and then picked up her own pack.

"I'm ready to leave whenever you are!" she told them.

Cecil smiled at her, and that was the last Rydia saw of his face as it was covered once more by his helmet.

"Do we have everything?" Cecil asked.

Everyone nodded, and Cecil led the way out of the room and down the hallway. They thanked the old couple, wished them well, and once again stepped out into the unforgiving desert sun.

Edward had tethered the hovercraft just outside of the village, and he quickly released it from its resting place and brought it into the air.

The rest of them hopped onto it and when they had settled, Edward brought the craft around and threw its controls into full power.

Rydia's unruly green hair blew away from her face as she leaned into the wind. It was such a wonderful feeling, to be flying. She looked back at Rosa and Cecil who were sitting next to each other in the back of the craft, and between the strands of green hair that whipped past her eyes, she saw Rosa smiling back at her.

Edward continued to fly them all through the morning, taking them once again to the shallows that would take them to Damcyan. It was late afternoon by the time they found land again, and late evening when they had crossed most of the Damcyan desert. Edward brought them to a stop near the opposite shore of Damcyan, in the rocky outcroppings that dotted the coast. He parked the hovercraft on top of one of the ledges and they set camp under the protection of one of its cliffs.

Cecil got a small fire started from driftwood he found lying around, and Rosa pulled out a small pack that contained food. She set the food out and Rydia sat down next to her, helping to prepare things.

When the fire was burning brightly, and the food had been doled out, they all sat in a small circle around the fire and ate.

It was quiet for awhile until Rosa spoke.

"Cecil, you asked me about Golbez, and I was so distracted I forgot to ask you something."

Cecil, who had once again removed his helmet to eat, stared intently at her across the fire.

"Wasn't Kain with you when you set out from Baron?"

Rydia noticed Cecil's face darken.

"He was."

"Has he gone ahead of us to wait, or has something happened to him?"

"He hasn't gone ahead. I awoke after the earthquake in Mist to find him gone. He'd been acting a bit off, not like the Kain we've always known. I have no idea where he is, if he ran off, or if he was killed."

Rosa's fine features looked troubled and she stared into the fire with worry in her eyes.

"I had hoped he wasn't being serious…" she said softly.

"Serious about what?" Cecil asked.

Rosa shook her head. "He said he was tired of the king looking down on him and his command. He wanted to do something that would re-establish his standing with the king, and he wanted to do it alone."

Cecil sighed. "He would."

Edward couldn't help himself and intervened. "Who is this Kain you keep talking about?"

"A childhood friend, and an excellent warrior. He disappeared some weeks ago in Mist."

"Disappeared?"

"Disappeared or worse. He tried to fight my decision of what to do with Mist, and afterwards vanished when the valley collapsed," Cecil answered, careful to avoid as many references to the destruction of Mist as possible with Rydia present.

"I hope he's alright," Rosa added quietly.

Cecil didn't say anything else about Kain, just stared into the dancing flames with a resolute expression on his face.

"Rosa, why did you leave Baron?" he asked.

"No one had heard from you for awhile, and the king decided to send scouts to Mist to see if you had completed the mission. They said the valley had collapsed, and that the village was in ruin. When they reported that you and Kain weren't among the ruins, I thought that maybe you'd escaped and gone somewhere else. When I heard a second report that a survivor had said something about a girl being kidnapped by a knight, I determined to set out after you. The king wanted you brought back to answer for taking a prisoner, but when he sent his other knights, I knew something was wrong. I stowed aboard their airship, and when they stopped briefly in the mountains I got off and tried to make the rest of the journey by foot. I never made it, though."

Rydia quietly sat and listened to what Cecil and Rosa were saying. She realized that the girl being kidnapped by the knight was her. But then she remembered the first part. Someone had told the scout about Cecil taking her from the village—a survivor.

"Rosa," she suddenly interjected, "A survivor said he saw Cecil and me? Someone else survived?"

Rosa shifted her gaze to Rydia. "That was you, Rydia?"

Rydia nodded, but drove once again to the original question. "So there really were survivors?"

Rosa's eyes flitted away from her to Cecil. "I know there were, but I don't know if there still are. I'm sorry, Rydia."

Rydia looked into Rosa's face for any kind of reassurance, and when she didn't find any, let her gaze drop down to the coals of the fire. She really was the last of her kind.

"What's become of Baron?" Edward asked quietly, more to himself than anyone else.

"I don't know…" Rosa replied, then stood and unrolled her bedding. She was wrapped up thoroughly in her blanket before she said anything else. "All we can do now is reach Fabul and make sure Baron doesn't kill any more innocent lives."

"She's right," Cecil acknowledged. "We should all get some rest for tomorrow. We have a lot facing us."

Rydia knew he was right, but after sleeping for a full day and a night, she wasn't very tired. She was too anxious now to be tired. They were close to the mountains that would take them to Fabul, but that meant they were that much closer to her having to cast fire. The talk of Mist had put her mind back into thinking about her fear of fire, and she was already dreading the morning.

She watched Cecil and Edward set up their bedding, and even after they had

drifted off to sleep, continued to gaze into the small fire burning between all of them.

It was very late before the flickering flames finally sent her off to asleep as well.

………………………………………………………………

Cecil woke everyone up in the morning, and buried the embers of the fire with earth. Rydia opened her eyes and groaned. She had fallen asleep on the bare ground and felt like her back was bruised and twisted in hundreds of ways. She pulled herself up and gathered her things, joining Rosa and Edward at the hovercraft.

"How much farther is it?" Cecil was asking Edward.

"Only a few more hours, we should be there before the afternoon."

Cecil looked at Rosa and then at Rydia. "Are we all ready?"

Rosa nodded and Rydia averted her eyes, tacitly giving her reply.

"I guess we're off then," Cecil stated, joining Edward in the hovercraft.

Rydia and Rosa climbed in after him, and once again they were off. True to his word, Edward got them to Mt. Hobbs before the afternoon. The mountain loomed over them and they set the hovercraft down in its shadow.

Cecil and Rosa jumped down from the hovercraft and Rydia followed, staring up at the mountain in front of them. She could feel a stiff breeze coming down from the mountain and shivered when it crossed her face.

Edward finally left the hovercraft and joined them. Together they hiked across the foothills and towards the base of the mountain. Even from a distance, Rydia could see the paths carved into the rock face and how they crisscrossed back and forth to the summit. When they reached the base of the mountain, the only path leading up was slick and covered with thick ice and snow, just as Edward had told them earlier.

Rosa stepped forward and examined the challenge in front of them. She turned back around and looked directly at Rydia, who tried her best to avoid the other woman's gaze.

"Rydia can you at least try to cast the fire spell?"

When Rydia didn't respond, Rosa frowned.

"What's the matter, Rydia?" Edward asked, looking down at her, concerned.

"Just try it, Rydia. I know you can do it," Rosa prodded.

Rydia shook her head. "No."

Rosa tilted her head slightly to one side, confused.

"I—I hate fire."

"The fire in Mist…" Cecil finished for her. "Rosa, she has good reason for not casting the spell."

Rosa looked at Cecil sadly, then re-directed her eyes at Rydia. She walked up to her and knelt down, resting her hands on both of Rydia's shoulders.

"Rydia, I know this is hard, but only you can melt this ice."

Rydia, overcome with emotion, pushed herself away from the older woman's grasp, tears streaming from her eyes. "No! You don't understand! I hate fire! Fire was the spell my mother was going to teach me the morning she died! She died in a fire, and I won't cast it! I can't!"

Rosa looked away, and stood back up at a loss for words. It was Edward who took over for her.

"Rydia," he said softly, calmly, "You've done so much. You've helped me; you've helped Cecil and Rosa. You are the only one who can do this. If we don't reach the other side of this mountain, more innocent lives will be lost. Remember what you told me about being brave? You taught me to face fear head-on. If you don't overcome your fear of fire now, when will you? Will you let it chase you your entire life, or will you defeat it now?"

Rydia listened to him, and in her heart, knew he was right. Being afraid the rest of her life wasn't going to solve anything. She continued to stare at the ground through her tears until she made up her mind and resolutely stepped forward, past her companions.

She began to say the words she had used with her other spells, only modifying them here and there to fit her purpose. She spoke words that were vague but familiar. Words that brought back memories; some she wanted to remember and others that she didn't. When she finally felt she had said them all, she spoke the final word, releasing the spell. A strong current of warm air stirred up around the ice, warming until the air started on fire, sweeping through the snow and melting it. The heated air crackled and shimmered and then dissipated, the fire spell exhausted.

"You did it, Rydia," Edward said in awe.

"I knew you could do it, Rydia," Rosa told her.

Rydia simply stood firmly in place and stared relieved at the opened path in front of them. She really had cast fire. She had beaten her fear, and now they could reach Fabul to save the people there from Baron's power.

She was still half dazed when Cecil walked up behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know what this meant to you, Rydia. Thank you."

Rydia smiled and looked up at Cecil gratefully. "I hope she'd be proud of me," she added with a touch of doubt in her voice.

Cecil looked up the path they were about to climb and then back at the little girl beside him. "I'm sure she is, Rydia. I'm sure she is…"

…………………………………………………………….

Author's note: Hurrah! An update within a week! This one's longer than the others, mostly because I was actually feeling some inspiration. That, and I finally got a phone call! Woot! This chapter was a challenge, but also quite a bit of fun. There was a lot to put into it, and I hope it turned out alright, but I'll let you be the judge of that! There may be some errors here and there, but if I spend any more time editing this, it won't get posted for another week. I also was considering writing this chapter all the way through Yang, but figured that Yang deserved his own chapter, and so ended things where I did.

Some notes: The beginning scene where Rydia hears music is when Edward is having his phantom vision of Anna at the lake.

I tried to add a /bit/ more fluff between Rosa and Cecil without making it overly romantic at this point (I'm waiting for Cecil to finally wake up to his feelings about Rosa after Fabul before I add more romance between them)

Also, the final scene, notice that I have Cecil tell Rydia that her mother would be proud of her in the present tense and not the past tense. Not something that's super huge, but it kind of is…dunno. Just thought I'd mention that.

Aaand, I also thought I should alert you to something I will be doing with this story. Escaping the Flames is actually drawing to a close. There's only about three or four chapters left to it, but not to worry. Though this story is ending, it will be picking up again under a different name. I wanted to separate into "parts" the events of Rydia's life. Escaping the Flames is essentially her childhood up until the Land of Summoned Monsters. The second "part" will be her experiences in the Land of Summoned Monsters, and the last "part" will be when she reunites with the party as a young adult. If that makes any sense. At any rate, we're drawing closer and closer to the end of this fic

I'll keep you posted!

myth.


	15. Chapter 15

Part XV: Reaching Fabul

"Why do you think there was ice blocking the path in the first place?" Rosa inquired of Edward after noticing that the mountain itself wasn't snowcapped.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "One of our mages noticed the change in the mountain shortly after our kingdom was attacked."

Cecil looked back at the two of them and said simply: "The crystal."

When the others failed to immediately see what he was saying, he elaborated. "With the crystal of fire absent from Damcyan, cold has been able to move in to take its place."

"Do you think it could also have been placed here on purpose? I'm not entirely disagreeing with you, Cecil, but to have ice and snow in only one place--the main path up the mountain for goodness sake--it seems too much of a coincidence," Rosa argued.

Cecil sighed, "I suppose you're right that it's too much of a coincidence."

Rosa met his gaze seriously and walked closer to where he was standing with Rydia.

"Baron knows you're still alive. What better way to trap Fabul than to keep you on the other side of the mountain?"

"Fabul is distant from the other kingdoms in that it has only one way of land travel—this mountain. Since no one else has an airship to fly over, if anyone were to try and warn Fabul they wouldn't be able to get there unless they could cast fire. Baron could very well have staged this," Edward explained. "Although, I _did_ notice a change in the air as we flew here. The fire crystal's influence is leaving this land," he added in Cecil's defense. "But for what purpose is Baron collecting the crystals if these are the effects?"

Cecil was at a loss for words.

For the first time in the conversation, Rydia spoke up. "It doesn't matter why they're stealing the crystals. We just need to get to Fabul before they do, and before any more people are hurt!"

The three adults all exchanged looks, confirming that Rydia's statement was just as valid as their own.

"She's right. We need to keep moving," Cecil said turning, but not before glancing at Rosa and Edward to make sure the conversation had ended. Cecil resolutely walked towards the ancient path and waited until the others caught up to him before leading them all on the ascent.

The trail was more difficult than any of them had thought it would be. It was steep and doubled back on itself again and again. In some places it even tunneled through the mountain, and in others, they had to climb ancient steps that had been chiseled into the rock.

"The kingdom of Fabul uses this mountain to pray and to train. They carved the stairs and tunnels into this mountain," Edward explained to them as they climbed.

"It's amazing how they've tamed it," Rosa remarked.

"Edward, which path leads to the summit?" Cecil asked immediately afterward when they found themselves at a fork in the trail.

Edward paused and looked both directions. Both ways led to stairs and tunnels, but Edward couldn't decipher which way went where.

"I think it's the left path," he answered.

The four of them walked left towards that particular opening in the cliff wall, but before Cecil could reach it, three large birds swooped down on them from up above.

"Cockatrice!" Edward shouted.

Rydia saw them and ducked, covering her head.

The cockatrice shrieked and cawed, diving between the companions and trying to grab hold of flesh.

Suddenly Rydia heard a twang and looked up just in time to see an arrow fly through the air and pierce one of the birds in the chest. It fell to the ground in a flurry of feathers and a pathetic flapping of wings.

She looked to her left and saw it was Rosa who had released the arrow, holding her bow out before her and knocking another arrow.

Cecil's sword was out now as well, held up defensively as he tried to make sense of where the attackers were coming from.

In the confusion of feathers, Rydia stayed low, and from her vantage point noticed that the talons of the cockatrice looked like sharpened metal. She had heard once of a knight being bested by lightning when it struck his sword. The talons could easily pass as swords, she reasoned.

She immediately set to work chanting the lightning spell, releasing it, and sending an electric charge in a multitude of directions at once. The current caught up with the cockatrice and surged up from their talons to their beaks, burning one so badly it dropped to the ground in a series of spasms.

Rosa took down the remaining bird, shooting it with another arrow.

"Good to know the wildlife is tame," Cecil muttered, brushing some loose feathers from his armor, and finally stepping through the opening that led them through the tunnel to another part of the pass.

"This path doesn't lead up, it only leads further away," Rosa pointed out when they emerged on the other side.

"But look, traveler's wards!" Edward said, gesturing towards a ring of stones.

"I see some chests down that way as well," Cecil added.

Rosa looked to where the wards were and then up at the sky. "It seems a bit early to rest, Cecil," she told him.

"I agree," he relented, "but at least we know it's here. I'll go open the chests. You wait here."

As Cecil went to open the chests and take their contents, Rosa stood next to Rydia and watched the knight intently.

"He always has to do things by himself. If he thinks he can make me stay behind

and wait all the time, he's wrong."

Rydia looked up at the older woman. "He's worried about you. He just wants you to be safe."

Rosa's brown eyes settled on the little girl. "I know that, Rydia. But who's going to look after him?"

Rydia looked at Cecil who was now making his way back towards them. "We all will!" she answered cheerfully.

Rosa could only smile. "Do you always look at the good side of things, Rydia?"

Rydia made a serious face and thought about it. "I try to."

Rosa laughed softly. "Do me a favor, Rydia, and don't stop trying."

Once Cecil had returned to them, the group retraced their steps and headed to the right instead of the left at the fork in the path.

"_This_ way leads up," Edward commented after awhile, happy that they were finally on the correct path.

"Truly," Rosa responded, adding more arrows to her quiver that she found in a chest. "And whoever traveled here before us left quite a few useful items behind."

They hiked the trail until they reached a point where it flattened and appeared more like a platform than a path with stairs leading up to a another narrower platform. To Rydia's eyes, it looked like this part of the mountain had been made to look like a shrine.

Cecil crossed the platform and started to climb the stairs towards the next platform. Rydia climbed after him, finding it difficult to keep her breath.

"These stairs are steeper than they seem," Edward huffed, speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Must only be a bit farther," Cecil answered, sounding a bit winded himself.

Rydia's feet trudged onward, but she stopped when she heard something ahead of them at the top of the stairs where they couldn't quite see.

"Cecil!" she quickly announced, and cupped her ears with her hands.

Cecil stopped and so did the others to listen to what she was talking about. There was nothing to be heard for a brief moment, but sure enough, a moment later metal on metal, and shouts were distinctly heard at the top of the stairs.

The four of them sprinted to the top, their energy suddenly returned to them. What greeted them at the summit was not what they had expected. Dozens of bodies were lying on the ground, all of them men with copper skin and long braids of black hair. Horrified, they were almost too stunned to notice there was still one man alive, taking on a hoard of enemies by himself.

His right hand was equipped with a strange weapon that Rydia had never seen before. It was strapped on by leather and had three long metal prongs that looked like claws. His other hand was bound by leather cord, and he seemed to have no problem in using both hands as weapons. He easily dispatched the company of imps before him with flawlessly executed moves, and was about to engage a large and furious looking bomb, when Cecil drew is sword and rushed forward.

Rydia knew what that meant. He wasn't going to let this man fight by himself.

She pulled her ill-used bow from her back and ran after Cecil.

Rosa and Edward followed as well, Edward's harp at the ready, and Rosa's bow in hand with an arrow already knocked.

"Looks like you could use some help," Cecil informed the other man in a tone that left no room for questions.

The other man turned to look at Cecil and then stared at the others in bewilderment. "I'm not going to ask where you came from, but you arrived just in time," he replied.

"Cecil, look out!" Rydia shouted, as the bomb shot some of its flames in Cecil's direction.

Cecil dodged the flames and charged the bomb with his dark sword raised. He struck it, but the bomb was faster than he'd expected and drifted to the side, causing his sword only to graze it.

Rosa shot again and again with her bow, missing some of the time when the bomb floated back and forth, and Edward was finding his music having little effect on the bomb as well. Rydia was having trouble even getting her arrows directed in the right place, and fired them in gathering frustration. Finally, she'd had enough, and decided that if their weapons couldn't touch it, perhaps something else could. She chanted and released an ice spell, freezing the air and striking the bomb, finally making some progress.

The man who fought with his fists sprang up in that instant and dealt the bomb a mighty blow that caused it to explode into a large cloud of flame.

The company stared at it in surprise. Nonetheless, they continued to fight, determined to destroy it. Rosa administered healing spells when her quiver had been expired, and Rydia let loose one ice spell after another.

Between the flurry of fire and ice attacks, Cecil was having difficulty finding something to hit, as his sword sheared through the flame cloud and hit nothing. When he noticed he wasn't doing any good, he allowed Rydia's spells to take over.

Rydia hit the cloud with one final ice spell and instead of dying, it exploded, sending fire spurting out in every direction. Rydia felt the wave of heat smash into her and she fell backwards, feeling singed, and very dizzy. The others were picking themselves up off the ground as well and when they looked up, saw that the cloud of fire had multiplied into several smaller bombs again.

The man with copper skin and black hair suddenly let out a powerful cry and surged forwards. He rushed between the bombs sending windmill kicks and other attacks through their lines. One of them died on impact, and the others took damage and sank closer to the ground, unable to stay fully afloat.

"Some are stronger than others," Cecil informed them all. "Aim for the ones with more flames!"

Rydia decided it was time to move to stronger attacks, and chose to summon instead of cast. Her chocobo charged the field multiple times, scratching, kicking, and pecking at anything in its path.

Cecil's sword took down several of the bombs, and Edward managed to weaken a few more with his music.

When the arduous battle finally came to an end and the last of the bombs fell to the ground a pile of ash, all of them were weary, a bit battered, but more than a little relieved to have defeated their foe. The man they had helped turned to face them all, victory evident on his sharp features.

"I owe you my gratitude. My name is Yang, and I am a high monk of Fabul. I had brought my men here to train, but now they are all dead—killed by this swarm of beasts. They were Fabul's finest men. Woe to us in this hour, to have lost those true of heart and deft in combat."

"I offer my condolences to you and your kingdom. My name is Cecil and I bring news to you now that may spare more of your brave from dying."

Yang gazed at Cecil with fierce black eyes.

"A villain named Golbez has abused Baron's power and is seeking the world's crystals," Rosa explained.

"You think he seeks our crystal of air as well?"

"There is no doubt," Edward added. "He easily seized the crystal of fire from Damcyan a few days ago."

"So the odds are against us. The only fighters remaining in Fabul are students. They stand little chance against so mighty a force as Baron."

"Golbez must have sent these monsters to attack you and your men. Someone must have known you would be vulnerable here away from your kingdom," Rosa informed him.

"If that is true, an attack on the castle itself is imminent. I must hurry to the king!" Yang announced, turning to retreat down the mountainside.

"We will follow you to Fabul," Cecil mentioned, before Yang could leave. "We would like to help."

"I am grateful, however, this does not concern you," Yang tersely replied.

"I can assure you that it does," Cecil countered.

"I am the prince of Damcyan," Edward explained.

"Rosa and I are citizens of Baron, and this girl is one of many victims of our kingdom's recent attacks…some of which I have personally led," Cecil added. "I am not proud of what I have done in the past, but I will no longer obey the orders of a king who slaughters the innocent to further his greed. The day I abandoned my command, I vowed to make things right, and so I shall by helping you now."

"It seems, Dark Knight, that I was wrong. It seems we all have a common purpose, and so it is also good that we stand together through whatever faces us ahead. Fabul lies to the east of here, beyond this mountain and still some distance yet."

"We'll have to hurry, then," Cecil answered, leading the newly formed group of five down the other side of the mountain, knowing that it was now Fabul running out of time.

………………………………………………………………

Author's Note: SOOO CLOSE! I'm getting excited now. I know it's taken me about a week to get this one up. I spent most of my week painting, actually…and this chapter was a little slow in coming. I think I may have spent more time editing this than actually writing it. Haha, that's how it always goes…The dialogue in this chapter was particularly a beast. I was starting to run out of words to use for "he said" "she replied" "they argued" etc. It's been so long since I've written dialogue between so many characters…I feel a bit rusty.

Some random notes: Where the cockatrice are concerned, I didn't know what the plural of "cockatrice" would be so I kept it the same as its singular form, much the same as "moose" and "moose". Sorry if it caused confusion.

Also, I made a little reference to Odin in this chapter, I don't know how many of you caught that. I think it's a little significant that Rydia hears of Odin since if you know the game well enough and know about Odin, you also know how he ties in with Cecil. I'll dig into that probably in the next fanfic I'll be starting…

And here's a progress update for all of you. I know I've been a bit slow updating, I think a chapter a week, but I'd like to let you know that chapter sixteen is already started and a good way through. You'll probably be seeing it sooner than later. Orrr…maybe later depending on how long I make it and how much meat I give it Haha, well, it'll get up, don't worry!

Finally, I'm going to try and put up a link in my profile to some Rydia fanart. I was going to put this link up awhile ago, but forgot. I drew this a couple months back, and it's of her as a little girl :)


	16. Chapter 16

Part XVI: The Chain of Battles Begins

"Cecil, are you alright?" Rosa's asked, her soft voice full of worry when Cecil returned with Yang from a skirmish they had insisted on fighting alone.

"Fine," he answered flatly. He was growing tired of Rosa's constant anxiety, but she was either ignoring him or not catching on.

In either case, the concern in her eyes remained unaffected by his response, and she stood her ground waiting for a better explanation.

"They were hardly a match," Yang assured her as her eyes locked their attention on the monk. "Swordrats are common here--nothing that can't be handled."

Rosa glanced coldly at Cecil for a brief moment, then nodded. "I'm sure you're right," she answered as lightly as her anger would allow. "I'd just prefer if you'd let us help you once in a while."

Cecil shrugged his armored shoulders, not entirely sorry.

"How far away is the castle?" Rydia asked, changing the subject; she hated to see Rosa and Cecil like this.

Yang walked away from the arguing pair, and stood a short distance away from the group, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Some distance still, but I have an idea."

Cecil disengaged himself from the irritated white mage and approached Yang from behind. "What did you have in mind?"

Yang held a finger up to his lips, indicating silence, and pointed to a large stand of trees in front of them.

"I don't understand—" Rosa began before Yang silenced her.

Yang quietly moved forward, practically stalking the trees. Rydia watched him and noticed him produce a small pouch from his pack. Curiously, she watched and waited to see what he would do with it.

He vanished into the trees for a few minutes and after some rustling, emerged with a large long-legged yellow bird, followed by four others.

"A chocobo?" Rydia exclaimed, giddy with excitement.

"Chocobos. Here?" Rosa had to ask to verify what her eyes were seeing.

Yang's smile was bold and confident. "There's a forest on the far side of the kingdom, but every once in a while they venture out and can be found hiding in groups of trees," he explained. "I thought I saw some nesting here when I traveled through this area a few weeks ago. Luckily for me I happened to have greens to secure their cooperation."

"Now I'm beginning to understand your plan," Cecil acknowledged with a slight chuckle in his voice.

Yang's smile quickly changed to a shrewd one. "Always know your surroundings," he said, waving a finger at them.

"We should be able to reach the castle much faster now!" Rydia announced, as it had been a day and a half already since they left Mt. Hobbs.

"She's right," Edward chimed in, breaking his silence, and walking bravely up to one of the incredible birds.

Taking Edward's example, everyone approached and mounted their own chocobo; though it was Cecil who lifted Rydia up onto hers.

Once they were all situated, Yang rode out ahead and began to lead them across the vast landscape of his country.

As they watched the plains and forests of Fabul slip past them, Rydia found it remarkable how fast the birds could run--nearly as fast as the hovercraft, she imagined. Even though she could summon them, she'd never been able to enjoy what it was like to ride a chocobo, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

The farther into the country they traveled, the more things started to change, from the feel of the air, to the smell of the earth. Even the trees began to change from the large leafy ones Rydia was accustomed to, to tall exotic ones, with branches that stuck straight out and were covered in gray-green spines.

All of the plants Rydia saw looked like ragged wisps of cloud—wide on the sides but not very tall, almost as if they grew sideways instead of up with the exception of the trees.

Rydia was so caught up with observing the unusual plant life, that she almost didn't notice when they came to the road that would lead them to the castle—long and laid with red brick.

They followed the road for many miles, and finally saw the castle sitting up above the trees in the distance. It looked impressive, even from so far away, and Rydia stared at it in awe.

When they drew closer, Rydia was able to get a much better look at it. There was a forest directly to the castle's west, and all around the castle was a river, no, a moat, but much larger and more beautiful than any moat she had ever heard about in stories.

"This is my kingdom, the pride and joy of the east," Yang announced reverently.

At his words, the group slowed their chocobos to gaze upon the city in its entirety—at what they were trying to save.

Rydia gasped when she saw the elegant towers and spires that reached up to the heavens; along with the statues, fountains, and shrines that surrounded the city's base. It looked like a beautiful garden at first inspection until you realized it was an armed citadel that housed some of the finest warriors in the world.

"Yang, your city is beautiful," Rosa murmured.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Rosa of Baron; however, it also comes to my attention that it is your people who are trying to destroy my city."

Rosa glanced over at Yang, determination settling into her features. "That's why we're here--to stop them."

Yang nodded and returned his eyes to the road ahead. It seemed to Rydia that he was taking one last look at the city, as if he'd never be seeing it again. She looked again at the city before them, wondering if it would be the last time she'd ever be seeing it either.

Without another word, Yang led them down a gently sloping hill toward the moat where they crossed at a long, but elegant wooden bridge into the gardens that surrounded the city. There were statues of proud cats sitting with their fangs bared to ward off unfriendly visitors, and a few villagers walking among the trees of the gardens as the group of five continued their journey. All of the villagers that could be seen were wearing long robes bearing ornate stitching, and they all had black hair; the men with shaved heads with the exception of one long braid, and the women either with their hair up in tight buns or down completely in flowing cascades of ebony.

Rydia felt her cheeks redden as she watched the women of Fabul go about their daily business. If being around people with brown and golden hair wasn't bad enough, how was she going to avoid stares among people with such fine black hair?

Yang dismounted his chocobo at the portcullis of the city gate. It was enormous, and the metalwork on the gates alone showed extreme skill and ingenuity, a taste of things to come. There were intricate patterns shaped into the metal, forming irregular squares and rectangles instead of straight crossbars.

Everything in Fabul appeared to be the result of patience and careful study, perfected by both time and practice. It made Rydia feel very small to be in such a place. Mist was such a far cry from this meticulously built city.

The city itself was built within the walls of the castle, tier after tier of streets and buildings that grew off of each other and surrounded the main towers of the keep. Everything had been constructed to a tee.

As they traveled the main street of the citadel, towards the king's chambers, Rydia looked at the sights around her. Beautiful wares were on display in windows and on the street; elaborate tapestries and blankets hung from beams and flapped gently in the breeze. Fabul was full of rich sights, sounds, and scents, and Rydia was astounded by them all. What it would be like to live here…

Their small group attracted a fair amount of attention as they climbed the city levels to the citadel's center, where the great hall was situated. Men and woman stopped to bow when Yang passed; others simply stared at the company he brought with him. Some even began to weep because the warriors of Fabul who set off with Yang had not returned. Sadness crept into Rydia's eyes as she watched the mourners, not knowing how they knew without being told that something was wrong and their men were not coming home again. She wondered what kind of homecoming this must be for Yang as she gazed ahead at her companions through blurry emerald eyes.

She didn't have long to think on it, because they had already crossed into the main courtyard and been greeted by guards who wanted to lead them to the king directly.

From then on it felt to Rydia that time suddenly accelerated, and the events between entering the courtyard and being brought before the king occurred in not much more than the blink of an eye. She didn't even remember how they'd gotten to the throne room; she just remembered the sense of urgency and the rush to climb the steps of the keep.

She simply stood a bit dumbfounded in the throne room and intently watched as the king of Fabul rose from his throne and slowly walked towards them.

He was an older man with flecks of gray in his black hair and a long pointed beard that also showed his age. He had the fierce features of the Fabulian people, but what set him apart from the others was that his head was not shaved, but he had a mane of long black hair with a braid tied behind his head. His robes were a deep red, a wine color, and they fell to his feet when he walked, giving him a graceful quality, as if he walked on air. His eyes rested on Yang first, a sad smile on his lips, when he noticed the grim look on Yang's face.

"Yang, at last," the king began, outstretching his arms in welcome.

"Sire, we must prepare for battle immediately," Yang said as his reply. "Baron will attack us at any moment to relieve us of our crystal."

The king's shrewd eyes studied Cecil and the others. Rydia shivered when his dark eyes fell on her and she stepped behind Rosa to shield herself from their sharp scrutiny.

"How do you know this, Yang?"

"These two are citizens of Baron who came to warn us," Yang answered, indicating Rosa and Cecil who bowed upon introduction.

"And these others?" the king asked, inclining his head in the direction of Edward and Rydia.

"Sir, we haven't much time," Cecil interrupted, stepping forward for Edward and Rydia. "This city's defense must be tightened immediately."

The king's eyes narrowed suspiciously and turned again towards Yang. "Can we really trust this dark knight and his companions?"

Yang bowed. "Yes, your majesty. They risked their lives to help me. The men and I were attacked on the summit of Mount Hobbs, and while I fought alone, they joined the battle and aided me. Without them I would not be here to warn you of what is coming."

As Yang straightened, Edward stepped away from the group and towards the king. "Your majesty, it is good to see you again."

Seeing the young man by himself, the king's eyes suddenly brightened with recognition. "Prince Edward!" he said in surprise.

"Sire, Baron's fleet destroyed Damcyan and stole our crystals only days ago. We lost many, including my parents, and one whom I loved deeply. Damcyan's tragedy must not be repeated. I do not want to see the people of Fabul suffer as we did."

The king's expression softened. "Forgive my suspicions. Yang, mobilize the men for battle. Dark knight, Prince Edward, would you help us defend the city? I know it is a mighty request, but it seems our forces are seriously depleted."

"Yes, your majesty, it would be an honor," Cecil replied, bowing once again.

"They have already offered to help, sire. They can join me at the main gate to help the forward defenders."

"Very well. Ladies, I'm afraid I cannot ask you to do the same. It would not be right of me to ask you to defend a foreign city when there are men to do the task. But will you assist our menders during the battle?"

"Yes, sire," Rosa agreed, although she did so reluctantly.

The king returned to his throne where he paused briefly before turning around to face them again.

"Fabul's fate rests in your hands. May we be victorious."

"We will assemble at the main gate, come with me," Yang instructed, beginning to lead Cecil and Edward from the throne room.

Rosa impulsively shot forward, determined not to let Cecil out of her presence without a word.

"Cecil!" she called out.

He turned and simply stared at Rosa for a moment before nodding his head. After that, Rosa seemed a bit more at ease, as if they had just shared something that only the two of them understood. But before Cecil could resume Yang's orders and join the defenders, he looked at Rydia. She stared back at him, wondering what his eyes were trying to tell her from beneath his helmet.

"Rydia, take care of Rosa for me," was all he said.

She smiled and nodded, watching him quickly leave the room. She looked up at Rosa beside her and saw that the white mage's eyes were brimming with tears. She took the woman's left hand in her own and squeezed it.

"He'll be alright," she assured the older woman. "I'm sure of it."

Rosa fought back a sob, but smiled despite a tear rolling down her cheek. "Thank you, Rydia."

The two of them stood there together for a couple minutes, Rosa trying to collect her nerves, and Rydia wondering where exactly they were supposed to be going.

A servant appeared shortly after, as if to answer Rydia's thoughts, and gathered both of their attention.

"Excuse me, but I'm to take you to the mending wing," the servant directed, beckoning them to follow her out of the throne room.

Once out of the throne room, they were led along a long corridor and towards a set of stairs. They climbed what seemed like an endless set of stairs, and when Rydia felt that she couldn't take anymore, they reached a landing that contained many beds and an entire group of menders.

Fabul's menders stood on one side of the room and watched Rosa and Rydia enter the room. For a few minutes no one said a word. Rydia felt her unease growing and knew that she wasn't the only one.

"You're from Baron," one of the menders spoke up, distrust evident on her face. "Why have you agreed to help us?"

Rosa straightened herself and looked the other woman in the eye. "I can't bear to see any more loss of life. I became a white mage to help, not to harm. You can take my services or leave them, but I'm not leaving until this is over."

The mender backed down and there were some murmurs among the other women. For a moment, Rydia worried that they would be forced to leave, but one of the menders stepped forward, smiling.

"I like you. You've got a good head on your shoulders, and we could certainly use another experienced healer."

"Thank you," Rosa replied.

"What about you, young one?" the woman asked Rydia.

Rydia was so surprised at being addressed that at first she couldn't say anything. "I—I'm a summoner, but I can use some white magic."

"Good. If anything comes this way I'm sure you can stop it."

"I'll try my hardest," Rydia answered, blushing.

"What do we do now?" Rosa asked.

"We wait, white mage, and hope our men fare well in battle."

Rosa pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Rydia, are you still sure that they'll be alright?" she asked, glancing at Rydia.

Rydia paused, doubt creeping into her mind. She had never imagined Cecil could fail at anything, and it was hard for her to think it now. He hadn't failed at anything in all the time they'd spent traveling together, but she was young, and Rosa knew more about battle than she did. Rydia suddenly found herself afraid for Cecil and the others.

Despite her fear, she ultimately refused to let Rosa see it and still answered as bravely as she could. "He's a good fighter. I'm sure he'll be alright."

Rosa nodded with a far-off look in her brown eyes and sat down at the foot of one of the beds. "I suppose we have no other option but to wait."

………………………………………………………………………..

Author's Note: Hallo, beastie. This chapter was one of those… "what am I going to put into you?" chapters. First I couldn't quite find the motivation to write it, then my computer's modem got zapped in a lightning storm and I was without internet for a week, and then an ant invasion occurring in my room kind of took up a bit more of my attention. Here at last it is finished…thank goodness. Sorry it took so long once again. HOWEVER, we are almost at the end (I know I say that a lot, don't I)!

Chapter notes: I tried to give Rosa a bit more scope in this chapter, and I think I did so at the expense of Edward. I'm not really too sorry about that either, haha. But sorry to any Edward fans out there. I just don't feel that he plays too much of a significant part in this scene except to get shot later on.

Yang was another character that I tried to give a few more quirks to. I have him speaking very formally. I don't know why…but whenever I try to picture him, he comes off as the wise old grandfather with his quirky wit, blunt replies, but overall politeness. (even though he's not really that old)

Kind of random, but I gave Rydia green eyes if anyone picked up on that…I went along with her face shot from the SNES version of the game.

About Fabul…I increased the scope of the city so instead of it just being a small town inside the castle, I made it a large citadel. I wanted to give it more oomph, because it is the only city in the game where the town is inside the castle, and, well…I like Fabul.

I believe that was all there was to remark on this chapter…

(just to let you all know, the following chapter to this is well on its way to completion, so you'll get the last chapter sooner than you think )

Til next chapter!


	17. Chapter 17

Part XVII: Can Old Friends be Trusted?

It wasn't long before Rosa and Rydia's waiting came to an end. All of the women in the mending room were sitting on the beds when the castle shuddered tremendously beneath their feet. Loud percussive explosions shook the tower that the mending room was in, and Rydia fell to the floor clutching her head in her hands. It felt like the tower was swaying back and forth, but she couldn't tell if it was actually happening or if it was her imagination.

"Everyone, get down!" she heard Rosa's clear voice ring above the noise.

There were screams from the menders, and suddenly a force so jarring it sent the beds sliding across the wooden floor, struck one of the walls and where there was once stones and mortar, now there was a gaping hole. Rydia could hear rocks falling and dust settling, and looked up to see the hole in the wall. Her eyes widened in panic. "Rosa!" she screamed.

At first the mage didn't answer, and Rydia's whole body froze with fear.

"Rosa!" she screamed again.

There was some movement in the room as the menders pulled themselves up from the floor and pushed beds aside. Rydia frantically searched their faces, looking for the golden haired mage. Finally, when one of the beds was turned over, Rosa pulled herself out from a tangle of blankets and rubble. She had a cut on her forehead and appeared a bit dazed, but looked otherwise alright. Overjoyed, Rydia ran up to her and tightly hugged Rosa's waist, almost so tight that the other woman had to gasp for air.

"I'm alright, I'm alright," Rosa assured her, saying it as if to assure herself of the fact as well. "How's everyone else? Are there any wounded?"

The other menders checked themselves and found that everyone was accounted for.

"What happened?" Rydia asked, still shaken.

Rosa slipped out of Rydia's grasp and walked towards the hole in the wall, investigating the damage.

"The Red Wings," she answered simply.

A few other menders joined Rosa at the opening in the wall, and while they peered down from the height of the tower to see what else had been damaged, a servant rushed into the room, out of breath.

"They're here! They're in the city! Baron is sending ground forces directly!"

Rosa turned, her face flushing. "Everyone, we need to get this room in order. We need the beds ready, and we need supplies ready to treat the wounded."

Rydia watched in amazement as the other women scurried about the room, driven by a common purpose. Rosa took command of the situation and directed the menders where to go, leaving Rydia with not much more to do but watch.

As the room was reorganized, a few new reports arrived from down below; updates on the invasion that kept the women informed as the minutes crawled past. Rydia waited for any news regarding Cecil, Edward, and Yang, but so far they had not been reported among the dead or wounded. As the battles below wore on, a few warriors of Fabul were brought to the mending room where they were quickly healed and bandaged. Thankfully, the injuries of the patients weren't too severe, and it made the work of mending them easier. Rydia helped where she could, wrapping bandages and trying to cheer the men, but she anxiously watched the door to see who would be brought up next.

An hour passed from the bombardment of the castle, and the updates on the progress of the invasion slowed significantly. Rosa stood near the doorway, listening down the stairwell.

Rydia looked up from bandaging to where Rosa was standing. The older woman looked tense, and suddenly met Rydia's gaze with fear in her eyes.

"They're in the tower! They're coming up!" she whispered urgently.

Rydia set down the bandages and ran to Rosa, peeking out into the stairwell. The other menders stopped and looked up from their chores as well.

"What should we do?" one of the menders asked Rosa.

Rosa gazed helplessly at the woman and then back out into the hall.

"I can keep them from coming up," Rydia said quietly, suddenly finding herself the center of everyone's attention.

"Rydia, are you sure?" Rosa asked, gazing down seriously at the girl.

"I think so," she answered, still a tad bit unsure of herself. "I can stop them with my magic."

"Rydia, please be careful. If you can't keep them from coming up, come get me," Rosa told her calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Rydia took a deep steadying breath and stepped into the hallway. She had never had so many people depend on her as they had the last few days, but she knew that once again she was the only one who could do it. She didn't want to let anyone down, so she closed her eyes and readied herself as she'd seen Tellah do every time they'd entered battle together. This was her first battle by herself, and she tried to remember everything she had learned from Cecil, Tellah, and all the others.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of glowing green eyes leering up at her from farther down the stairwell. It was tall, whatever it was—tall and blue. It had scales and fins but walked like a human. She thought she had seen something like it in the water caverns, but she didn't care where it was from, she wanted it gone. She quickly set to work chanting a spell that by now had become second nature to her, releasing the lightning bolt as swiftly as a flick of the wrist.

Behind it were others, more blue finned creatures. She burned through them with the lightning as quickly as she could, sending the bolts in as many directions as the staircase would allow, but more kept coming. Imps, water creatures, and others--Rydia felt herself growing more and more tired as they advanced. She had used up too much energy casting lightning and she knew it. Her head was starting to ache and her body was sore as if she had just run a hundred miles. She set loose one more lightning bolt, and as she fell backwards onto the stairs, exhausted, she heard a shrill, triumphant cry behind her. She turned wearily to see a woman with long braided hair, pants, and a long tunic running down the tower stairs. The woman's hands were clutching onto the handle of what Rydia realized was a frying pan, and without hesitation, the woman plowed into the enemy attackers, swinging her pan without mercy. She smashed several of them in the head and they crashed to the floor, dead, but the woman didn't stop there.

"Get out of my city, you pitiful sacks of seafood! I'll personally fry you all!"

Rydia sat and watched in astonishment as the woman took down each and every one of the invaders with her frying pan.

When she had finished her attack, the woman cracked her neck and stood victoriously with her hands on her hips.

"That's right! And don't you dare come back!" she shouted down the staircase for anyone and everyone to hear.

"Thank you!" Rydia sighed in relief, causing the woman to turn around and look at her.

"You're very welcome, little one," the woman replied. "I couldn't let you have all the fun, you see."

The woman smiled and her face was full of energy. Rydia smiled back, grateful for the other's assistance.

"Where are the menders? Is everyone alright?" the woman quickly asked, her tone suddenly becoming insistent.

"They're fine," Rydia told her. "They should be in the mending room still."

"Good. I'm leaving things up to you again," the woman responded, as she began walking back up the stairs. "I'm Marcy by the way. If you should see my husband, Yang, anywhere, tell him I took care of everything on my end."

Rydia watched the woman go quizzically, wondering at the abrupt exchange between them, and suddenly startled to learn that Yang had a wife! She didn't understand Yang and Marcy as a married couple, being so different from each other as they seemed to be. She continued staring up the stairs until the door to the mending room opened and Rosa's concerned face looked out.

"Rydia? Are you alright?"

Rydia smiled brightly even though she was still exhausted from the fighting. "They're gone now. Yang's wife came down and helped me!" she announced.

Rosa furrowed her brow in confusion. "Yang's wife?"

Rydia nodded. "She fought them off with a frying pan!"

A smile slipped onto Rosa's lips. "I never knew Yang was married, but I'm glad you're alright. I knew you could do it, Rydia!"

As Rosa and Rydia stood in the stairwell, a messenger ran up to them from below.

"Is everyone alright up here? They broke through our defenses, and we were worried we wouldn't be able to stop them."

"Everything's fine here," Rosa answered him. "We fought them off, and no one was injured."

The messenger sighed. "Good to hear."

"Tell me," Rosa began, "how is the battle going down below?"

The messenger's face was grim. "The defenders have been pushed back to the crystal room. They're making a last stand there."

"Is Cecil still with them?"

"The dark knight was still alive the last I heard."

Rydia heard Rosa release a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

The messenger nodded and then returned down the stairs, leaving the two of them standing in silence.

Rydia was about to return to the mending room, but Rosa didn't move. Rydia stopped and looked up at her curiously.

"Rydia, I know we were told to stay behind and wait for them, but there's a time and a place to bend orders, and this is one of those times. I can't stay up here any longer. I think we've waited long enough, don't you?"

Another smile crossed Rydia's face. "I was hoping you'd say that!"

"Come on, I don't know how much time we have," Rosa urged, starting to run down the tower stairs with Rydia following after her.

……………………………………….

Rosa ran all the way down the tower, stepping around the bodies of invaders who had been thwarted by Fabulian defenders and some by Rydia's lightning bolts. They retraced their steps from the tower to the throne room, all the while avoiding unfriendly eyes. When they neared the throne room, the enemy was still being hindered by a few Fabulian defenders who were trying in one final effort to keep the throne room secure. In the confusion of the fighting, Rosa and Rydia slipped into the throne room behind the defenders and hid in the shadows to watch for an opening to run for the crystal room. They quietly crossed the room within the shadows of the pillars, but as they got closer to the door of the crystal room, the commotion outside the throne room came to an end. Rosa was the first to hear the door open, and ducked back behind a pillar, pulling Rydia down with her.

Rydia tried to keep her nerves in check as lines of enemy soldiers marched into the throne room a moment later. The defenders of Fabul had failed. The lines of armored soldiers filed in and stood at attention. They were waiting for something—or some_one_.

Rydia clung to Rosa, waiting for the older woman to make her move, when the lines of soldiers parted and another figure entered the room. Rydia felt her heart catch in her throat. It was _him_. She recognized his helmet, the weapon he carried, his calm even stride. She heard Rosa gasp.

"Kain," Rosa uttered in horror.

Finally Rydia had a name for the terror. This was the Kain Cecil had spoken about. This was the man who had wanted to kill the rest of the villagers, the man who had never apologized, the man who'd let her mother burn. She felt the tears well up in her eyes--the pain of everything coming back to her in that instant. All of the time she'd spent traveling with Cecil, all of their adventures, everything she had learned disappeared in that instant and was replaced by a strong and overwhelming anger. It was almost the same anger she'd felt towards Cecil long ago at the inn in Kaipo, but this was worse. Cecil had walked away from this life. Kain was still fighting for the same evil that had destroyed her village, and not only was he still fighting for it, but he'd destroyed Damcyan, and was trying to destroy Fabul as well. Her hands involuntarily balled themselves into fists.

Kain walked between the soldiers and entered the crystal room, only feet from where Rosa and Rydia were hiding. Once the door closed behind him, Rosa sat with Rydia in tense silence as they tried to figure out a way to get past the soldiers and into the room as well. They waited and waited, but none of the soldiers budged from their places, and the waiting was starting to fill Rydia with an overwhelming sense of helplessness. What if they couldn't help Cecil in time? What if something bad _did _happen?

After many minutes had passed, Rosa whispered into Rydia's ear, causing the girl to nearly jump. "Rydia, do you have the energy for one last lightning spell?"

Rydia looked up at Rosa, wondering what the other woman had in mind.

"I want you to hit that guard over there," Rosa directed her, pointing to a guard closest to the throne room's entrance.

Rydia understood, focused, and quietly chanted the lightning spell, sending a bolt into one of the guards, knocking him to the ground. The other soldiers in the room all turned to see what was going on, surprised by the attack, and rushed towards the opposite entrance of the room expecting to fight off any new advances that Fabul had sent.

Rosa took the opportunity and sprinted for the crystal room, dragging Rydia behind her. They crossed the room and ran through the door while the soldiers were still distracted, stepping into a world of crystal and light. Rydia had to blink to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but the moment her eyes made sense of the room, what she and Rosa saw caused them both to stop dead in their tracks. Rydia's eyes went wide with fear, taking in the danger of the situation. Halfway across the room from where they were standing, Cecil lay on the floor with his sword several feet from his grasp. He was wounded, and Kain stood beside him, his lance leveled to deal the killing blow.

"Time to put you out of your misery," he was saying as he lifted the lance for one final attack.

"No!" Rosa screamed, rushing towards Cecil with too many emotions on her face to read.

Kain hesitated, taken aback by both the intrusion and the source. "Rosa!" he stammered out.

The tension in the room was palpable as the white mage approached the dragoon with anger and pain in her eyes. Rosa's hands were clenched so tight her knuckles were white.

"You of all people, Kain," she scolded, the betrayal of his actions bringing tears to her eyes.

Kain's lance lowered to his side, Cecil's life momentarily spared. "No, I—" he attempted, searching for words, but not finding any to satisfy the accusation of the mage.

Rydia stood in the doorway watching Rosa approach her former companion. She couldn't step forward, all she could do was watch. There was too much pain to go forward; her legs felt as though they'd been turned to lead. She watched Rosa meet and hold Kain's gaze, trying to make him back down--to step away from Cecil. And then Rydia took a better look at Cecil still bleeding on the floor of the room that looked like it was made completely of glass, and she felt her heart break. The strong leader, the protector, the teacher, and the friend she had in him was slowly dying in front of her eyes, his life blood leaking out onto the polished floor. She couldn't believe this was happening and it was all his fault. He'd done this—to his own friend no less. As she stood there taking everything in, all of these events, she felt a dark presence enter the room behind her. The air around her suddenly became unbearable, like even breathing was impossible. She had never felt such a strong presence of evil, let alone one accompanied by such a strong magical force. Filled with an even greater fear of what was behind her than in front of her, she quickly bolted forward without looking back, suddenly wanting the comfort and protection of the white mage.

"Befuddled by a woman? You pitiful wretch."

Hiding behind Rosa's robes, Rydia peered around them to see another man in dark armor—black armor--stride into the room. He was the tallest man Rydia had ever seen and he wore a cape that was black on one side, deep blue on the other. Everything about him felt wrong. He had an icy stare, and all of his movements were crisp and calculated. The air crackled around him, as if he was constantly exuding some form of magic into the air that affected even his surroundings. Rydia took a deep breath, trying to get her thoughts in order. This man had to be a powerful sorcerer.

"Golbez!" she heard a shrill voice cry out, realizing it was Edward.

"So you're Golbez," Cecil forced out, his breathing ragged and slow.

"Cecil, I presume?" Golbez addressed him, keeping a snide tone in his voice. "Never hesitate to kill, Kain. Observe. This is how it's done!" Golbez continued, lifting his hand and spreading his fingers in Cecil's direction as a glow began to emanate from his fingertips.

"Cecil!" Edward shouted, rushing forward with Yang before they both had considered the movement.

"Silence!" Golbez snapped, flicking his hand in their direction and sending the energy from his fingers hurtling towards them in a wicked flash of light, knocking them both backwards and leaving them unconscious on the floor.

Rydia clung closer to Rosa, desperate to do something—to run, to hide, or even to fight back. The woman beside her seemed frozen in place, too stunned by Golbez's power to challenge him, but not willing to leave Cecil's side.

"Get the crystal," Golbez's menacing voice commanded, and Kain obediently nodded.

"Yes, sire."

Rosa finally moved, hurrying to the middle of the room to make one final plea before Cecil could stop her.

"Kain, please! Stop this madness and help Cecil! What's happened to you!"

"Rosa, no!" Cecil shouted, taking note of the danger she'd placed herself into.

Golbez, visibly surprised, stopped long enough to stare at Cecil.

"So you cherish this woman? Then I shall take her with me to raise the stakes," he laughed, sending shivers down Rydia's spine.

With that, he aproached the white mage from behind and swiftly took hold of her arms, squeezing them against her sides so she couldn't fight back. Rosa screamed, trying to kick and pull away, but she had lost. There was no hope for her escape.

Golbez turned, taking the struggling Rosa with him.

"Until next time, Cecil," he remarked, then left the room without another glance.

Rydia felt like her heart had stopped beating, and looked towards the crystal dais to see Kain coming down the steps with a brilliant white jewel in his hands. He strode towards Cecil on his way to the door and paused long enough to say, "Next time you won't be so lucky," before following his master out of the room.

"Rosa," Cecil muttered; the loss of her sinking into his mind.

Rydia just stared at the floor, unable to think. Rosa was gone, Kain was still the enemy, and the crystal was gone now as well. She walked slowly to the center of the room and stood between her three wounded companions, looking at each of them with tears in her eyes. She was still overwhelmed by what had just happened, but she knew she still had something left to do.

She drew upon the last of her strength and spoke the words of the only cure spell she knew. She spoke all the words, and when she said the last one, a powerful force erupted from her lips and all three men immediately came to, as if they had simply woken up, and not been wounded at all.

Dizzy, Rydia dropped to the floor, watching the sparkling room shimmer and dance in front of her eyes. A moment later she felt a strong pair of arms lift her off the floor and carry her. She glanced up to see Yang's calm face staring down at her with a smile. Relief flooded over Rydia to see a friendly face, and she glanced over Yang's arm to see Edward and Cecil both alive as well.

Edward was walking to where Cecil was, although Cecil was sitting on the floor slumped forward.

When Yang neared Cecil, he set Rydia down on the floor. She sat down and peered up at her companions.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you, Rydia," Edward told her.

"Physically I am well enough, but I'm afraid I've failed. The crystal is gone," Yang answered dejectedly.

"Rosa…" Cecil murmured.

"Come on!" Rydia suddenly interrupted. "We have to go help Rosa! There's still time, isn't there?"

Edward stirred. "She's right. This is no time to lose ourselves in despair; we must rescue Rosa and retrieve the crystal. As long as we work together we should be able to succeed."

Yang nodded, "I agree with Edward. Now it is our turn to assist you, Cecil. Rosa will be rescued, you have my word."

"Thank you," Cecil replied gratefully.

"For now, however, let us heal our wounds and form a plan. There's nothing more we can do right now," Yang continued, offering Cecil his hand, which Cecil accepted, and pulling the dark knight to his feet.

"The inn is this way. In the morning I'll bring you before the king. He will probably offer his support as well, and from there we will begin our search," Yang said again, walking to the door of the crystal room.

Rydia followed her companions wearily. She wanted to rescue Rosa and put an end to all the fighting, but just thinking about where to start was overwhelming. What could she do besides go with Cecil? She was just a little girl.

As she thought about it, the more and more her eyes began to droop, until the last thing she could remember was being carried once again, and finally being swept off into a deep and well needed sleep.

………………………………………………………………………


	18. Chapter 18

Part XVIII: Trouble on the High Seas (or, if you prefer, The Breaking of the Crystalship, )

When Rydia awoke, she was convinced everything had been a dream; that Rosa was still with them, that Fabul had never been invaded, and that Kain had never tried to kill Cecil. The overpowering ache she felt when she tried to get out of bed reminded her otherwise. She blinked when she noticed the rich scarlet carpets, the beautifully woven tapestries hanging on the walls, and that everything around her smelled pungently of spice. They were still in Fabul after all.

Cecil, Edward, and Yang sat at a table across the room from her, talking in low tones. She walked slowly over to them, not realizing until now how much the previous day's battles had taken out of her. Yang looked up and smiled when he saw her.

"It's off to the king's chambers then," he said, standing up and waiting for everyone else to join him.

Cecil's helmet was off and his face was weary. He looked down at Rydia with a tired smile. "How are you today?"

She nodded absentmindedly. "Tired. Cecil, is she really gone?"

Cecil looked away sadly. "Yes she is," then more quietly that Rydia could barely hear, "Along with the crystal and Kain."

"Where are we going to look for her?" Rydia asked again, as they followed Yang through the corridors of the castle.

"We'll ask the king of Fabul for a ship, and with a ship we'll sail to Baron and try to find my friend Cid."

"Why do we want to find Cid?"

"Cid built the airships. If he helps us, we can use an airship to find Rosa."

"We're going to fight them," Rydia stated.

"We may have to, but I was hoping to do something else."

"Wait here," Yang instructed, interrupting Cecil, and making everyone halt in front of a large set of double doors. He went inside and returned a few minutes later.

"The king will see all of you now."

Cecil stepped into the king's chambers with Rydia and Edward following after. The room was modest, and it was appointed with only the most essential things. A nurse stood against the wall, watching the company with quiet interest as they approached the king who was sitting up in bed with a tray and a roll of paper.

The king set his papers down and looked at the four of them.

"Yang told me you were in need of a ship."

"That's right, your majesty," Cecil answered.

"I understand that you will take good care of the ship and its crew, that you will only do what is necessary for the rescue and not entangle my men in some lengthy sea campaign, and that you will use this opportunity to undermine Golbez's attempt to gather the remaining crystal in any possible way. Oh, and I'll be needing the ship back."

"You have my word, your majesty," Cecil replied, grinning at the king's candor.

The king scrutinized Cecil's helmet-less face.

"Good. I will have a ship made ready and its crew assembled as soon as possible. When you are ready, head to the east and the ship and crew will be waiting for you at the docks. I would like to seek retribution for Baron's crimes as much as the next kingdom, but I suppose at the present I will have to leave it in your hands."

"Thank you."

"However," the king interrupted, "before you leave, I must give you something. This sword belonged to a dark knight who passed through here many years ago. It's a powerful blade, but be warned--You will never be able to truly conquer evil so long as you wield this sword. The path of the dark knight can never defeat true evil."

The king beckoned for a servant to come forward, and spread across both of the servant's hands was a long sheath with beautiful engravings. The servant held it out and Cecil accepted it, taking the sword by the hilt and the end of the sheath. He drew it out of the sheath and uncovered a long and wicked looking broadsword.

"Hades," the king answered, unbidden. "As far as I know, one of the most powerful of the swords of darkness."

"Again, thank you, your majesty," Cecil said, bowing.

The king nodded. "Use it well." Then shifting his eyes to Yang, "Yang, you will accompany them on the rescue. You will be my eyes during this time of unrest. We cannot allow Golbez to collect all the crystals. If he does, the world may face an unprecedented crisis."

Yang bowed. "I go gladly, your majesty."

"I grant you my blessing, and give the goodwill of Fabul to you and your journey. May you meet with success and defeat the evil that stands against us all," the king proclaimed, sending them all on their way.

When they were out of the room, Yang led them down from the king's quarters and to the armory. Women and a few men were scurrying busily about the castle, many of them carrying the bodies of the dead or wounded, or moving supplies around from place to place to help repair damages. The castle was still healing from the previous day's attack.

"The armory is this way. We can equip ourselves there before we infiltrate Baron," Yang was saying.

Rydia followed the monk, but could do little more than dizzily gaze ahead, feeling caught up in something she didn't fully understand. They were going to Baron. They were _actually _going to Baron, the one place she thought she would never go. Did Cecil really know what he was doing by going back there? Would Cid really want to help them? She hoped for Rosa's sake that he would.

Her mind was a whirlwind of unease as she followed Cecil to the armory and elsewhere. Before she knew it, everyone had equipped themselves with better gear and supplies, and Yang was taking them to the city gate where their chocobos were still waiting to take them to the docks. When they finally did reach the city's gates, Rydia barely took the time to notice that one of the birds was missing.

"Rydia, you can ride with me," Cecil told her, taking her by the waist and lifting her up in front of him.

It was much different riding away from the kingdom than riding towards it. Rydia had a sense of sadness in seeing the city return to the distance, knowing that they had been five when they entered it and now they were four leaving it. She missed the white mage already; all her quirks and concerns. She really wished Rosa could still be with them on this journey over the ocean, that they could all be helping each other find the rest of the crystals and protecting more kingdoms.

They rode away from the castle and crossed the surrounding river, heading east towards the ocean. The chocobos brought them there within an hour, and once there, they found the ship waiting at the dock as the king had promised, a crew and captain waiting for orders.

Yang dismounted his chocobo and walked up to the captain, shaking his hand.

Everything appeared normal, until a woman that Rydia recognized jumped into sight and practically pounced on Yang. Suddenly, Rydia understood what had become of the other chocobo.

Yang seemed surprised, but then realized it was his wife and hugged her back.

"Be careful, hon, and bring back something useful this time!" She glanced over at Cecil, her cunning dark eyes meeting his. "And keep your chin up, dark knight. You'll get her back in no time!"

"Thank you," Cecil told her.

Yang grimaced as if to apologize for his wife's frank manner, but turned to her afterwards with a smile. "I trust you will look after everything."

"Of course. Take care. I love you," she answered, smiling broadly and bear hugging her husband. With a final smack on the back, Yang joined the others and they climbed aboard the gangplank and onto the ship. The captain had already beaten them aboard and tugged at his wiry black beard.

"Cecil, I presume," the captain addressed Cecil. "I heard you beat the hell out of those Baron lovelies. Sit back, mate, and enjoy the ride. We'll take care of everything from here, no worries. Anchors aweigh!"

The crew answered in unison, and the gangplank was pulled in, the anchors were pulled up, and the sails unfurled.

Cecil and Edward were led to the cabins below the deck, and while the ship's captain was preoccupied, Rydia stared at the huge masts and sails. They looked like giant clouds when they billowed in the wind, and they fluttered when the ropes were pulled here and there. Rydia was amazed. She had never been on a ship before, and this would be her first journey over the ocean.

For the first time all morning, she suddenly became very excited, forgetting momentarily her concerns about Baron, and ignoring the strange looks she received from the crew members. They had never seen a little girl traveling with such older companions before, and her avid interest in the ship bewildered them. Never had they seen such interest in a seven year old, let alone one with green hair.

Rydia ran to the ship's railing and peered over. Marcy was standing on the dock, waving wildly and smiling. Rydia smiled and waved back, glad to have met Yang's wife through all of the trouble they'd weathered. While Rydia waved, she noticed Yang come up beside her and wave to his wife as well. Marcy shouted something up at them, but the ship began to pull farther and farther away from the docks and Marcy's voice faded away with it.

Yang sighed. "I hope she'll be alright."

Rydia looked up at him with bright green eyes. "She said she took care of everything on her end, and not to worry about anything."

"Oh?"

"She saved me yesterday during the attack. I would have been gone if she hadn't rescued me in the tower. She told me to tell you that."

Yang laughed. "Sounds just like her."

He paused and looked over the water to the docks in the distance. "Have you ever been on the sea before, Rydia?"

She shook her head. "No. I lived in the valley all my life."

"The ocean is vast," Cecil suddenly added, coming up to them from behind. "It takes some getting used to."

Rydia turned to look at him.

"It's a long way from here to Baron," he continued, looking out over the open water.

"What will you do once you arrive there?" Yang asked.

Cecil exhaled, obviously in thought. "I'll look for Cid directly. I'm sure he'll help us, if not, I think I know a way to get a hold of a ship."

"How long do you think it will take us to reach Baron?" Rydia wanted to know.

"A week, maybe longer. There's no way to tell with the sea," came the response.

"I suppose we should make ourselves at home then," Yang stated, stepping away from the railing and heading towards the cabins down below.

Cecil stayed with Rydia for a while, listening to the calm waters, and the gentle rocking of the ship as they sailed away from Fabul.

"It's pretty," Rydia commented, still in awe by how big and blue the sea was.

"It is. The ocean is a beautiful and mysterious place."

"I'm happy I'm here."

"I'm happy you're here, too. We would never have gotten here without you, Rydia," he assured her.

She looked up at him again and blushed.

"I don't think any of us would have gotten here without each other," she hastily added.

Cecil paused and seriously regarded the green haired girl beside him. "You're right. We all helped each other get this far."

"We'll find Rosa and we'll rescue her together."

"Thank you, Rydia."

A few more minutes passed and finally Rydia spoke again.

"I hope Edward's okay. He didn't look well when he came on board the ship."

Cecil chuckled. "No, he really didn't. I don't think you're the only one who's never been on the ocean. Why don't we head below and see what he and Yang are up to."

Rydia giggled. "He looked really green, didn't he?"

"Rydia," Cecil warned, his voice advising her not to tease. "Not everyone can be as good on water as you. I wouldn't give him too hard of a time if I were you."

"I wasn't!" she insisted, but couldn't keep the smile from her face. "I'll go find him!" she announced, running off for the cabins.

Cecil followed after her, smiling. There was something about that girl that could lift hopes even when there were barely any left to lift. He had to admit, though, that Edward being green was worth laughing about, and he descended into the cabins with a smile on his face and more than a few strange looks from the ship's crew.

……………………………………………….

A week had passed since the party of four left Fabul, and Rydia had grown accustomed to the movement of the ship and the look of the horizon. She spent a lot of her time by the railing, peering out into the distance and looking at all the islands they passed. The sea air felt good and she loved when it blew through her hair and left a fine mist on her skin.

The ship had just passed a string of islands and Rydia had heard that those were the last they would see until they reached the mainland. She felt a pang of anxiety in her gut. She both looked forward to and dreaded seeing Baron. Somehow, looking over the railing helped calm her nerves, and she tried not to think about what she would see in Cecil's kingdom.

Every once in a while she would leave the railing to visit Edward down in the cabins, who seemed morbidly afraid of the sea and had spent most of the voyage sick in bed. Rydia felt sorry for him—sorry that he couldn't enjoy such a wonderful experience of being on a ship on the ocean.

She was just about to visit him again when the ship's crew started racing across the deck and shouting things at each other. Rydia stood where she was, watching them run for the ropes and move things around. She felt the ship lurch and heard the captain barking orders at the crew, but still didn't know what was going on. She didn't understand what they were saying, but after a while she began to understand what they meant. Terror had taken hold of the ship and she suddenly thought she heard a great rumbling and rushing of water up ahead.

In all the racket, Cecil appeared on the deck and caught Rydia's eyes for only an instant before going to speak to the captain. Yang and Edward too, came on deck and tried to sort out what was going on. That was when she heard it:

"All hands on deck! Whirlpool ahead!"

Her eyes popped open immediately. _Whirlpool?_ Another of her greatest fears was coming true in front of her eyes. She was terrified of whirlpools, had heard about them in plenty of stories, and was now being pulled towards one. The panic that gripped her, paralyzed her next to the railing.

"Good grief! The lord of the seas—Leviathan!" the captain shouted, frantically trying to turn the ship and move them away from the great funnel of water that was drawing them in.

There was a roar from ahead, but Rydia couldn't see it, she just imagined what and where it was, and that made it all the worse. The ship was gaining speed, but it was gaining speed in the wrong direction and the planks creaked and groaned in the surge of water and against the anchors that had been dropped to slow the ship.

Cecil was trying to help the captain steer, and Rydia wanted to go up to him, but the moment she moved, the ship jerked out from under her feet and to her horror she found herself on the wrong side of the railing.

She screamed but her voice only let out a strangled shriek as she plummeted down from the ship into the water below. She hit the surface hard, thrashing in the water and panicking because she had never been good at swimming. She saw Yang race to the ship's railing and look over, determination on his face to come and get her. Rydia dipped below the surface in the ring of waves that came towards her, and when she came back up again, Yang was no longer at the railing. She looked frantically around her in the water, wondering if he'd fallen in too, and as her hazy mind tried to make sense of what had just happened, she heard Cecil shouting and calling her name.

"I'm here!" she shouted back, knowing that he probably couldn't hear her.

She continued to be swept around in the furious current, and there came a point in the confusion and the crashing waves that she lost focus and couldn't keep fighting against the force that was sucking her in. Farther away from her, the ship was also losing its battle against the water and she witnessed it splinter in two, beginning to sink in sections, and being pulled further apart by the tremendous force of the whirlpool. Many of the crew jumped or were thrown off the wreckage, and the next thing Rydia knew, she was under the water, moving faster than she knew was safe.

The air in her lungs burned and her ears pounded as the current swept her faster and faster beneath the surface. All she wanted was to return to the surface and gasp for air, but the crushing force of the water pushed her farther down.

It felt like the water had swallowed her whole. In some part of her mind, she kept a small hope burning that Cecil would find her, that someone would rescue her from this and it would all be alright, but then the air was forced from her lungs, and her hope began to dwindle.

She was already dizzy from the spinning current, but now she was so desperate for air that her mind could think of nothing else. She felt a coil around her waist and feebly tried to free herself, realizing that if she went with the coil she'd never come back up. It was thick and powerful, holding her firmly by the waist and not letting her go.

She fought it for only a little while and then all her strength was spent and her mind was fading more and more to darkness.

In the haze of her mind, she heard, "Hold on to me," and with that she surrendered to the water.

She didn't remember what happened next, but when she opened her eyes the water was gone. The pressure, the horrible sinking feeling, and the coil were also gone, and in their place was firm ground. She fell on her hands and knees choking, but she realized, relieved, that she was alive, and was grateful for every breath she drew. When she recovered, she took a chance and looked around. The ground was honeycombed like a bee hive but solid in most places. Some of the depressions in the floor were filled with a luminescent red-orange substance, but she immediately got the feeling that she didn't want to find out what would happen if she touched them.

A new form of panic overtook her, and she looked around her in alarm, not knowing at all where she was, how she got there, or why she was there. She wanted to scream for Cecil, wanted to have someone there to protect and look after her, but when she looked around, all she saw were monsters of all shapes and sizes lurking around corners and staring at her with strange glowing eyes.

She started to crawl backwards with her hands and went only a few inches before bumping into something. For a moment she froze, then looked behind her and found herself face to face with a dark piece of fabric. Her eyes drifted upwards and she realized it was a robe, then found herself looking at a strange older man with unusual eyes and a long brown, almost black, beard. It was the color of his eyes that caught her most off guard, though. They were blue or purple or somewhere in between.

"Little summoner," he said in a deep, rough voice, "Are you well?"

Rydia simply stared at him, petrified. "Who are you?"

"I am the king of the land of the summoned creatures. To your kind I am known as Leviathan."

Rydia's mind began to spin again. Leviathan? _The _Leviathan? In her wildest of dreams she never thought she would meet the most powerful of the summons. Her mother had told her about all of the other summons, what they were like, but Leviathan was a summon that was respected and feared. He was almost never called upon, unless there was dire need.

"I-I'm fine," she answered, unable to say anything else.

"Why has no one answered our calls, little one?"

Rydia looked up at him and confusion showed on her face. She didn't understand what he was asking.

"Where are the summoners, little one. There have been very few summonings for some time, and I have grown concerned."

Now Rydia understood. She stood there in front of him, mute. She didn't know how to tell him, or how to accept herself, that she was the last of the summoners.

The wise summon waited for her to answer, his face giving no sign of irritation or impatience. Rydia finally gathered her nerves, but had to look away when she answered him.

"They're…they're dead."

Leviathan stared down at her. "Dead? How could this happen! There are none but you?"

Rydia hopelessly nodded her head, tears beginning to run down her face.

Leviathan's expression softened, and his strange indigo eyes were filled with compassion. He rested a hand on her shoulder and began to lead her through the caverns that made up his home.

Rydia let him guide her away from where she first arrived, a numbness spreading into her limbs, as her legs continued to move without her command. She was alone again. She didn't have her mother or her village, and now she didn't even have Cecil. The horrible memory of the whirlpool drove a dagger through her heart. Were they all alright? Had they all survived like she had? She wished as she walked with Leviathan that everyone had gotten to safety and that she would see them again, but wherever she was going, she had a feeling she wouldn't be leaving for a very long time. Nothing made sense any more. She didn't have a home, her friends, or anything that was familiar, she was now entirely at the mercy of a summon she barely knew and had never thought to meet. She glanced up at Leviathan and he returned her gaze out of the corner of his eye.

"What's going to happen now?" she asked timidly.

He looked ahead, a resolute expression on his face, and answered simply:

"We have much work to do. You're to come with me, last of the summoners."

El Fin


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Notes (in which I ramble on about technical and not so technical things)

Three chapters without any author's notes? Had you all worried, didn't I? ;) Well, it's been a good last six months. I'd like to thank all of you who've been reviewing, especially Katmillia and Freida Right; I really, really appreciate it. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my story! Also, a thanks to everyone who's read, but not necessarily reviewed. I hope you enjoyed the story so far!

It's amazing what's become of something that started off as a practice exercise in creative writing! I did start this back in February, thinking it would be an interesting idea to take on a fic based on Rydia, but not being sure if I'd actually continue it past chapter one…as it turned out, this project of mine became a good diversion for me during my boyfriend's deployment to Iraq, and I really enjoyed writing it. Therefore…eighteen chapters were born.

I also want to apologize for making you all wait so long for the final chapter. Truth be told, I had written the very end of the chapter back in March, so I had part of the chapter already written, but there was so much to jam into this final chapter of Escaping the Flames, that I took a lot of time making sure it was as good as I could get it on my own and on little sleep. Plus…life got a bit busy with helping a friend move to a different college, and a whole bunch of other things going on with only a few weeks left of summer.

I know at the end of the last chapter it said "el fin", but for those of you who might be concerned, I am continuing this story. Escaping the Flames is officially over, but Rydia's story is not. At this moment I have no title for the next part of her story, and please expect at least two or three weeks before anything new is up. You might get lucky and there may be something up this week, but we'll see. Check my profile for any updates, I'll try to update it whenever something new is being worked on.

As to the last three chapters of Escaping the Flames…I didn't realize how much it would take out of me to write them. Chapter seventeen was, I believe, the longest of the chapters I'd written so far. It was hard to balance out all of the tension occurring between the characters at relatively the same times. You may have noticed my brief scene with Kain. I didn't give him much dialogue…but he really doesn't have much there in the first place. I wanted to give him more of a presence than any dialogue, but I'm not sure if I succeeded. I'll be more fair to him once he arrives back into the story later on. For now I had to make him as evil as I could because it's from Rydia's perspective, and she's been through quite a bit of trauma...

The other difficulty was trying to keep Rydia's character consistent. Her dialogue throughout the entire story has been fairly simple. I didn't give her complex lines because, after all, she's only seven. A lot of her reactions are sensory; touch, sight, sound, and emotions she picks up from those she's around. I'm very excited to write her going through the years and growing up. Yay! More than just sensory detail!

Aaaand, I believe that's all for my notes! Thanks again for reading! Until next time!

myth.


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